


Holocene

by LieutenantLiv



Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Attempted Rape/Non-Con, First Time Bottoming, M/M, but also porn. yeh there's porn, cocoa by the fireside sort of stuff, mostly fluff and skiing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-19
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2018-11-16 03:33:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11245452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LieutenantLiv/pseuds/LieutenantLiv
Summary: Harry and Eggsy are sent on a mission to a romantic, alpine ski resort. Eggsy must play role of chalet boy whilst Harry makes friends with billionaire criminal James Ellis-Williams. Eggsy finds time amongst skiing lessons and organising dinner parties to realise that- fuck. He might just have feelings for Harry Hart.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not going to lie when I say this fic is largely inspired by both Chalet Girl and Bridget Jones: the Edge of Reason.

The sun began to set over the alpine mountains of St Anton am Arlberg, casting a pink light over the chalet living room. Harry Hart opened his laptop, turned on his communicative glasses, and poured himself a whisky. 

This was his first solo mission since he had miraculously returned from the dead. Merlin had sworn to keep the man away from solo missions after he’d flown to Kentucky, killed a church full of people (not his fault, granted), and let himself get shot in the head. It was bloody luck his glasses were bullet proof, otherwise he would have been left with a lot more than a bionic eye and scar along his brow bone from the shattered glass of the lens. Three months later, and Harry, at last, was back to what he knew best.

The face of a James Ellis-Williams currently occupied his laptop screen, a man who thus far had manipulated the stock markets so successfully that MI6 had only just found out about his actions. As it turned out, Harry had known Ellis-Williams at Eton. He took a hearty gulp of whisky, examining the man’s details. He had brought along a chalet girl, a certain Jessica Napier, daughter of one of friends. This was typical of the chalet girl role- it was taken up by the son or daughter of a rich family who knew the owner of the chalet. Something to distract them on their gap year, better than letting them wander aimlessly around the globe without any sort of adult supervision- that was the general consensus. Harry pitied the girl who had to spend her winter with James Ellis-Williams. By the looks of his record, people had suggested that he was guilty of sexual harassment at work. He was also suspected of embezzlement at the tech company he worked at, though considering his status, no one filed any formal complaint.

“What a complete arse,” Harry mumbled into his whisky glass, before pouring himself another. 

So of course, Harry’s mission was simple; to find hard core evidence of the man’s manipulation of the stock markets, perhaps his embezzlement too. Use their distant connection and spark up a friendship, get to know him. It was easy, really. And yet Harry found himself ignoring the fact that he was unbelievably nervous, after the cock up that was his last mission. His nerves were a state at the moment.

And it wasn’t only the work that was making him anxious. When Harry had disappeared to America, he hadn’t left his relationship with Eggsy on very good terms. He had been so frustrated at the boy for throwing away his potential, so furious that Eggsy should be anything but his fully talented self, that he was afraid he’d been rather cruel. At the time, it had felt necessary. When he had woken up in hospital in Kentucky, it had been one of his greatest regrets.

Lying in that hospital bed, Harry had started to identify his pride and investment in the boy’s life as something he hadn’t predicted. He was developing real, deep feelings for Eggsy, he wanted to take him out to dinner and kiss him like he was the only person in the world. And that, for Harry Hart, was the most frightening thing. 

It was easy to love Eggsy Unwin. He was clever and funny, handsome and mischievous. He kept Harry on his toes, which very few people were capable of doing. At first he had mentored Eggsy as a way to return the favour to his father Lee. He wondered how much Lee would have punched his face in if he’d known Harry had actually started to fall arse over tits for his son. Not to mention the fact that Harry was far too old for the boy; broken goods, as such. The young man had so much to live for and so much to experience- there was no reason that he should bat an eyelid at a man like Harry Hart.

All of this he had come to accept quickly and assuredly like discovering a part of the world you’d love to visit but know you’ll never realistically be able to visit. Eggsy was completely off the table, and it was as simple as that. Except it never is that simple, is it? And these past three months had been a lesson in restraint for Harry Hart, who had been trying to teach Eggsy to behave like a gentleman, only to find that the task was pointless- and that only made him fall in love with him all the more. 

No- it was a shame, but it would never happen. And Harry was absolutely fine with that.

He considered the value of taking a mission alone, without Eggsy, flicking through his mission report, when there was a knock at the chalet door. Not expecting any company, Harry slotted his gun into its holster underneath his thick jumper, making his way through the fire-lit living room to the front door. 

Lo and behold, according to Sod’s Law, there was Eggsy.

“Eggsy?” he asked stupidly.

He was standing on the snowy porch, snow boots, hat, ski jacket and all. He grinned up at Harry from the bottom of the porch steps, framed by the snowy mountains and deep green fir trees. 

“’iya, Harry,” he said. “Turns out, I’m your chalet boy.”

“Ah, I see. Well, come in, in that case,” he said, stepping out of the way whilst Eggsy stomped the snow off his boots in the hallway.

“Merlin didn’t actually tell me what the fuck a chalet boy is, so I- fucking hell, this place is lush.” Eggsy stripped off his jacket, taking a look around the rustic, chic décor of the chalet. 

“Yes, it is quite. Merlin hasn’t told me quite how he managed to find this place. He also didn’t tell me you’d be coming.”

“So neither of us know what the fuck is going on,” Eggsy concluded. “He said to me it’d work better if you did the talking and schmoozing, whilst I snuck around in the back and searched for details about our guy.”

“Yes, that does make sense,” Harry agreed, although he was feeling a little off-kilter at Eggsy’s sudden appearance. “The role of chalet boy would make that easier for you.”

“And I still don’t know what the fuck that is, though- is it like, a butler or something?” Eggsy was still taking in his surroundings. Harry led him to the living room, where he poured him a whisky.

“Of sorts. More often than not people have chalet girls, rather than boys-”

“Oh, brilliant,” Eggsy added sarcastically.

“-and they tend to do the cooking, cleaning, and general hosting for those living in the chalet.”

“So, I’ll be your butler,” he re-emphasised. 

“Yes.”

He didn’t look too put off by the role, warming his hands in front of the fire. “Aight.”

“In the meantime, you might get to do a bit of skiing, especially if we’re to keep up appearances.”

Eggsy snorted. “Never done it before.”

“Ah. Well I’m sure you could learn,” Harry added. He realised how stiff and unfriendly he sounded in his head, but there was little he could do to change that right now. He hadn’t expected Eggsy here, and now all his defence mechanism were on full power.

“Yeh, I’ll fit right in,” Eggsy muttered. Before Harry could respond, Eggsy asked, “How are we going to make contact with Ellis-Williams, then?”

“Ah, I’ve already ‘bumped into’ him, as such, in the village. I invited him round for dinner tomorrow night. So it actually works out rather well that you’re here to cook.” 

He smiled serenely at the fire whilst Eggsy scowled. 

“Try not to forget that I’m not your actual fucking butler, yeh? Or I’ll serve you and Ellis my homemade salmonella.”

They spoke for a while before Harry showed Eggsy his room. Time alone, my arse, Harry thought sadly. 

 

Eggsy was so not cut out for this. He told himself this as he tried to make a cassoulet for the two men next door, sitting in the fancy chalet dining room. Jessica, Ellis’ chalet girl, was taking out a bottle of red wine from the pantry. She was a sweet girl; a little skittish and nervous, which didn’t surprise Eggsy. Ellis made him on edge too. There was just something about him that made his skin crawl. 

“Dan, you want to take the food next door, and I’ll pour the wine?” 

Eggsy nodded- Danny was his alias for the mission. Harry, of course, was still Harry, considering that James had known him from school. “Sure, I’ll follow your lead,” he said in his poshest voice. “I’m new to this, so I’ll watch the master work.”

The girl ducked her head and laughed. “There’s not much to learn, seriously. Besides, I’m still finding my way with James.” She pouted, like she’d realised she’d said too much.

“What- is he really strict or something?” Eggsy lowered his voice and leant in towards her, as if excited to exchange gossip. 

Jessica looked over her shoulder to check on the other two, who seemed to be talking earnestly next door with the occasional uproarious laugh from James. “He’s just a bit… I don’t know. He’s a friend of my dad, so I feel a bit weird saying this, but- he’s just super creepy.”

Eggsy’s eyebrows shot to his hairline. “Creepy? Has he…?”

“No, no, he’s not done anything, but I always feel his eyes on me when I leave the room. And when he isn’t staring, he talks to me less like a chalet girl, more like a… maid. Or something.”

Eggsy didn’t know much about this world. But from the way Harry had been friendly and casual with Eggsy in public, he guessed that that was the norm.

“Like, last year, I was with this other family, and they were so lovely,” Jessica was on a roll now, pulling the cork out of the bottle of red. “I was always involved with their dinner plans. I mean, we’d even get a bit drunk together and play charades. And all my other chalet girl friends had that kind of relationship with their families too. But James is just really weird about it all. He’s just...” She leant forward again. “Please don’t tell anyone?”

Eggsy’s hands flew up as a sign of a promise. “Of course, my lips are sealed. I’m sorry you got a massive creeper.”

Jessica shrugged. “I just keep myself to myself. And it’s money, you know? What’s Harry like, though?” She smiled a little playfully.

“Yeah, he’s great,” Eggsy said, turning away and taking the cassoulet out of the oven. “Good boss and all that.”

Jessica snorted. “Oh come on. You have to admit that he’s really hot. Or are you too much of a macho guy to even think that?”

 _No, definitely not too macho for that_ , he thought to himself, pushing it aside without giving it any thought. Instead he laughed incredulously as he took the lid off the tureen. “I suppose he is, yeah. Not really thought about it.”

This seemed to convince Jessica, who took the bottle of wine next door. When he was alone, Eggsy rolled his eyes. “Fucking hell.” He followed her with the tureen.

And God, Jessica was right. As Harry thanked the girl for the wine, all Eggsy could notice was the way James’ eyes followed her, flitting up and down her body. It made his insides recoil. Placing the food between them, he took the lid off dramatically, revealing a plume of steam. 

“Et voila,” he announced.

“Thank you, Dan,” Harry said graciously. James didn’t say a word as he continued some Eton story. Eggsy and Jessica slipped out quickly, realising that James clearly didn’t want them hanging round and interrupting their evening. 

The moment they were out of ear shot, Eggsy said, “Yeah, I see what you mean- not just rude, he’s fucking pervy too.”

“Thank God I’m not the only one who sees it,” she sighed. 

“Absolutely not,” Eggsy emphasised with his best public school accent. The two of them leant against the counter of the kitchen. Eggsy poured them both a glass of wine.

“Are you sure?” Jessica asked nervously.

“Yeh- Harry doesn’t mind, anyway. Do you think he’s a dodgy guy, then?” he pushed.

“In what way?” she asked, the secretive nature of their conversation making her smile cheekily. Eggsy thought maybe she was flirting with him. Well, if it got her to talk, he supposed he had to encourage it. He leant minutely closer to her. 

“Well, like, do you think maybe he has a dirty past? He’s rich, powerful, bit of a weirdo…?”

Jessica shrugged. “Maybe. I wouldn’t be surprised. My dad knew him from Cambridge, they were in the same college together, but I don’t really know much else.”

If he pushed any harder, it would make Jessica suspect something. So, the rest of the evening was spent chatting about random, mundane things with Jessica. They exchanged school stories- Eggsy’s of course, were completely fabricated. Stuff about hiding alcohol in your dormitory and the like that he would never fucking understand. Jessica was nice though, and he felt bad for her. Especially when he noticed the way James escorted her out of the door, hand guiding her at her back. When they left, Harry announced that their false friendship was building well. 

“I don’t know how you can talk with him like that. He’s such a fucking twat,” Eggsy said as the two of them cleaned up. 

“Well, that is our job, Eggsy,” Harry replied. “And I’m afraid I’ve had great practice in talking to men like him.”

“Oh yes, at Eton,” he replied in an exaggerated posh voice. 

“And Oxford, and, funnily enough, Kingsman.” Harry raised his eyebrows at Eggsy, filling up the dishwasher. “Your Lancelot trials should have given you a little insight into the world of posh wankers.”

Eggsy barked a surprised laugh. “Fucking Charlie and Hugo. Jesus, I can’t believe people like that exist.”

“Unfortunately, they do. And they are so often completely oblivious to how awful they are.”

Eggsy laughed again. “Lucky Kingsman seems to have some pretty stand up people now, yeh?”

“Now that the previous Arthur has gone, yes.”

“I never got the judgemental, proud vibe off you,” Eggsy began before he could stop himself. Harry paused his work loading the dishwasher, looking at him. Eggsy shuffled uncomfortably under his gaze. “I mean, obviously you tease me for making a shit martini and not asking before I take a seat. But you ain’t straight up rude like James, or creepy.”

That interested Harry. “Creepy?”

“Yeah, I was talking to Jessica about it- she finds him really creepy, feels his eyes on her all the time, looking her up and down.”

“Yes, I did notice him look at you both like he wanted to eat you,” Harry muttered. Now Eggsy was the one stopping in his tracks as he hand washed some delicate champagne glasses. 

“Fucking hell, both of us? Rank,” he shivered.

“Quite,” Harry replied. “He was the lascivious type at Eton… let’s just say he used to get his way.”

“Fuck,” Eggsy shook his head. He’d assumed he was out of the way of the man’s gaze. But now he knew this… it didn’t sit well with him at all. Eggsy pushed back the flood of memories that threatened to take over. “ _Anyway_.Thanks for helping out with the cleaning.”

“Of course- I wouldn’t leave you do it all. You’re not really my chalet boy, after all. You’re a valued member of Kingsman.” He paused. “One of the best agents I’ve had the pleasure to meet, in fact.”

Eggsy grinned at him. He suddenly felt light headed. “Really?” 

“Absolutely.”

“Well. Thanks. I couldn’t have imagined a better teacher.”

They finished the cleaning in tense silence. 

“Right. Well,” Harry began, making his escape. “Perhaps tomorrow, if we’re not too busy, we can actually make the most of the resort. Since we have to be here,” he added hastily. 

“Yeh, yeh, that sounds good.” Eggsy searched for something to say other than _I’m really looking forward to it_. 

When Harry said goodnight to him, smiling at him gently before retiring upstairs, Eggsy was frozen on the spot for a few moments. That what when it dawned on him. When had he started enjoying chatting with Harry so much, leaving him elated like this? When had he started having this tingling feeling in his chest whenever they were in the same room together, like he was in some bad high school romance? Since when had he started seeing Harry as someone other than a just mentor- as someone more important? 

When the fuck had he started falling for Harry Hart?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys are finding it hard to live with each other without their feelings getting in the way. Especially with the romantic setting they've found themselves in... 
> 
> seriously, though, if you haven't watched Chalet Girl, go do it. such a silly romcom

Three days into Eggsy’s chalet boy role, and he was already knackered. Aside from the spy work, being what was essentially Harry’s butler was exhausting. He had to get up early to call Merlin and receive his instructions for the day, cook breakfast, fucking drive Harry in the 4x4 down the mountain to the resort and ski lifts, go shopping, everything that was expected from a chalet boy (which Eggsy was still figuring out- because what the even was a chalet boy?) all on top of the actual mission. Dig up dirt on James Ellis-Williams. 

After the dinner party two nights before, Eggsy was certain that they guy was an absolute twat, even if by chance he didn’t happen to be guilty of embezzlement or manipulating the stock market. Eggsy couldn’t put his finger on what it was exactly, other than the obvious fact that he was apparently a complete perve; but it was a similar feeling to how he felt when Dean was around. It was the combination of intimidation and testosterone, perhaps. He gave off the I-get-what-I-want vibe. Whatever it was about the man, Eggsy found it strangely difficult trying to snoop around him. The idea of being caught by this guy made him shiver; not that he would ever be caught, of course. He was a better fucking agent than that. 

This morning, Merlin had said that they should take a day away from James to avoid suspicion- which Eggsy read as ‘take a day off’. He’d immediately gone back to sleep. It was still only 7:30 when there was a tight rap on the door. 

“Hrrrrrrrrrnn,” Eggsy moaned into the pillow.

“Get up, Eggsy,” said the familiar voice of Harry Hart through his bedroom door. He threw a shoe at the door, which then fell into the pile of clean and dirty laundry on the floor. 

“Alright, you ungrateful bastard. I was going to take you skiing, since you’d said you’d never been before.”

Oh.

That did sound fun. A day with Harry, enjoying the vista and messing around sounded pretty amazing. Not that Eggsy would allow himself to dwell on the fact that maybe the reason romping around in the snow with Harry sounded so appealing was because he actually fancied him. Sure, he was going to make a tit out himself, trying to ski, failing, and embarrassing Harry in front of all the present posh people; but there was also something about that which sounded… fun. Eggsy sighed, face still buried in the pillow.

“Okay. I’m ‘wake. Breakfast first.” He could practically hear Harry rolling his eyes before picking up the sound of footsteps disappearing down the stairs. Throwing on some tracksuit bottoms, a t-shirt, and a hoodie, he padded downstairs expecting to have some leftovers from last night- only to find Harry cooking. He was wearing a turtle neck jumper that made him look like he was in a Scandinavian crime drama. Combined with the glasses, it suited him very well. Harry turned to look at him, very briefly appearing taken aback by Eggsy’s relaxed get-up. He supposed he’d never seen him in these kinds of clothes before. He returned to the cooking without comment. 

“I’m a fan of French toast,” Harry said. “I thought I’d give you a break from the cooking since you’ve been doing such a wonderful job.”

Eggsy threw a cheeky wink-grin combo, the type that he usually used when he wanted to hook up with someone. He internally kicked himself for being so obvious. He wasn’t here to flirt with his boss. He filled the kettle with water to boil, nudging Harry over to fit it on the stove next to the pan. 

“Fuck, that smells amazing.”

“Tastes even better, if I do say so myself.”

“I thought it was rude to boast- not very gentlemanly?”

Harry hid a smile, but not well enough, as he flipped the toast over. “Perfectly cooked breakfast food is one exception.”

Eggsy laughed an unusually bashful laugh, dipping his head down to his smile. He couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to wake up to Harry cooking him breakfast in different circumstances. It wasn’t fair. He’d already been in this position when Harry had taught him how to eat like a gentleman in his dining room, and that had just happened to be breakfast too. 

He hadn’t been arse over tits in love with Harry then, though. Well, perhaps he had been- he just hadn’t realised yet. No- he idolised him, for sure. But it wasn’t until Harry miraculously returned from the dead and he’d started visiting him at his house after work that he’d started feeling it. Harry had been so bored not being able to work, and Eggsy had been more than happy to provide company and make up for lost time. The problem was, as time passed, it felt more and more like their evenings together were dates. Eggsy wasn’t sure that Harry felt the same way- he should be so lucky. But that didn’t stop him from flirting outrageously with the man, apparently. What they had going on now- this comfortable relationship they had, as sexually charged as it was- it was working. And Eggsy was not going to ruin it. 

The French toast was amazing, of course. A cup of tea later and he felt like he could face what was coming next- desperately trying not to think of it as a date. 

 

“Fucking, ah fucking Jesus-”

Eggsy was sliding slowly down the hill on a pair of loan skis, wearing a ridiculous rented bright orange ski suit. The slope looked a lot fucking steeper from this angle than it did coming up.

“Come on, you’re being a wimp. You’re doing fine.” Harry was swerving side to side next to him, trying to stay with Eggsy’s slug like pace.

“Fuck this, mate,” he retorted, voice wobblier than he’d like it to be. Someone raced past him so quickly that it knocked him off balance, and like a cartoon character trying to catch thin air after running off a cliff, he waved his arms about before face-planting. Harry didn’t hold back in laughing. 

“You really shouldn’t be finding it so hard, Eggsy. You’re an athlete, you can take a little bit of skiing.”

“I think it’s psychological, or summut,” Eggsy said, mouthful of snow, nose freezing off. 

“I daresay it is,” Harry said with a hint of amusement, grabbing his arm. “Come on. Try again.”

Just as Eggsy was about to formulate a snarky comeback, he saw someone flying through the air, sprinkling snow behind them; when they landed, it became clear they were on a snowboard.

“Fuck skiing, I’m trying that,” Eggsy announced. “I’m good at skateboarding, it’s basically the same thing, yeh?”

“I wouldn’t know, I’m afraid, but I won’t stop you if you want to give it a go. You’re abysmal at skiing, after all.”

“Yeh, fuck you too.”

“At least I tried,” Harry joked. “Now, do you think you can ski down the hill without breaking anything?” 

Once Harry had helped him back up onto two skis, Eggsy let himself fall down the hill again, leaning forward and bending his knees. He felt like a right knob. 

“By George, he’s got it,” Harry announced. 

“My Fair Lady, right?” Eggsy said, focusing on the shining show in front of him. It was hard when the sun was reflecting off it, practically blinding him even with the snow goggles. “Don’t think Eliza Doolittle ever had to fucking learn to ski.”

“I’m sure that would have been the next stage in her lessons,” Harry said, swerving in front of Eggsy and guiding him by his hands. 

“By that logic I should’ve gone to Ascot races by now.”

“All in due time, Eliza,” Harry replied, pulling Eggsy forward which resulted in a frightened squeak- which Eggsy would swear never happened. “Come on, Eggsy, move your bloomin’ arse, as they say.”

“That’s my line.”

“Not if you don’t get a fucking move on.”

 

 

If Harry were to be entirely truthful to himself, he had to admit that guiding Eggsy by the hands down the mountain, making parallels between their situation and that of My Fair Lady, was perhaps a little obvious. 

The boy was quite remarkable. One of the most athletic, physically talented people he’d ever come across. In hand to hand combat, he had quickly surpassed some of his superiors. Out of all the Lancelot candidates, he had the highest scores in the fitness tests. His hand eye coordination was off the scale, having learned to fire a sniper from a distance faster than anyone Harry had ever heard of. And yet, skiing had eluded him. As Eggsy was swapping the skis for a snowboard in the shop, Harry could only smile affectionately to himself. He had skied his way half way down the mountain, when Merlin contacted him on his custom made ski goggles- which Eggsy did not have, considering his last minute addition to the mission.

“Arthur.”

“Merlin,” Harry replied, sweeping off the side of the slope to keep out of the other skiers’ way. “Any updates?”

“Your dinner with James the other night seems to have gone well- his activity hasn’t dipped, at least, so he doesn’t suspect.”

“Good, good.” Harry winced in the snowy sun. 

“Next time you and Eggsy happen to meet him, I’m going to need Eggsy to make a copy of his key. Sooner rather than later, if possible- MI6 are up my arse with this.”

“I’ll let him know when I see him, although he seems to have buggered off somewhere up the mountain.”

“Oh, yes, having a nice time enjoying the resort are we?” Merlin asked innocently. Harry wasn’t fooled.

“Yes, thank you,” he said in a clipped voice. 

“I think Eggsy mentioned it was his first time skiing. Perhaps you could teach him.”

Harry shook his head to himself. “Yes, perhaps I could. Although, Merlin, I can’t help but feeling there’s an ulterior motive I don’t know about, here.”

“Whatever could you mean, Arthur?” Merlin said, betraying nothing. But Harry knew his old friend well.

“Oh, fuck off, Merlin. You know bloody well that Lancelot would have been perfect for this mission, so what do you think you’re doing?” People skied past him happily, children having lessons and adults chatting to each other casually. 

Merlin sighed on the other end of the line. “Listen to me, Harry, and listen carefully-”

“Oh here we bloody go.”

“-You and Eggsy work well together, there’s no secret there. But after your recovery, things have been fraught, something you’ve been very successfully ignoring- until now.” Harry shook his head to himself again. “None of us can concentrate with the tension that’s caught between the two of you. Whatever tension that might be.”

“And what the fuck does that mean, precisely, Merlin?” he said, practically through clenched teeth.

“Och, you know exactly what it means, Harry, don’t be obtuse.”

“So you thought sending us on a little holiday would fix it, did you? Merlin, it’s far more complicated than that. If you can’t be professional enough to-”

“Let’s not get into that, Harry. I’m sorry if I’ve wounded you somehow by sending you on a mission with Eggsy so you can sort out whatever it is that’s going on. But ever since Valentine, you’ve not been nearly as focused. And every time the boy walks into a room you turn fidgety. You’re not as good an agent, to put it simply. So sort yourself out, fix whatever problems you two have and when you come home I want to see you on top of your game again. I don’t care how you do it- and honestly, I don’t think I want to know.”

_My God,_ Harry thought. _Have I been so transparent?_

“Understood,” Harry muttered.

“And in the meantime, you should both try and enjoy yourselves.”

“Hmmm,” Harry replied non-committedly. “Merlin?” 

“Harry.”

“Just how obvious is it?”

Merlin paused. “To the common eye? Not at all. To your oldest friend? Painfully. And I might not have known Eggsy long, but he bloody worships you, Harry.”

Just then, the bright orange figure of Eggsy Unwin appeared, careering down the mountain on a snowboard. Harry- and, by proxy, Merlin- watched him soar through the air for a moment, his silhouette blocking out the sun, before landing and sending a spray of snow to explode beneath him. He slowed himself down and stopped himself in from of Harry, at first clumsily, but ending with a flourish as he whipped the board round with his feet. He grinned up at Harry.

“Fuck skiing, snowboarding is fucking epic!”

“Good luck, Harry,” Merlin said to him. Harry didn’t like how multi-faceted that last little message was. 

“I’m glad you’ve found your calling,” Harry said sincerely. “You appear to be a natural.”

“That’s what one bloke up the top of the slope said, ‘pparently I should enter the amateur snowboarding contest next month.”

“Well, with all being well we won’t be here that long,” Harry said, internally arguing with Merlin for sending them both here for couples counselling. 

 

Eggsy, the good little chalet boy he was, had packed a picnic for lunch, because apparently that was a thing that posh people did. Picnics? In snow? He wasn’t really sure how that was going to work. Harry seemed pleasantly surprised albeit a little quiet as they went to the car and drove up to the picnic spot; Eggsy didn’t want to admit that he’d got the idea from the movie Chalet Girl. When he’d asked if he’d fucked up, Harry said not at all. It helped them with their cover, too- which had been Eggsy’s plan all along, of course. 

The sky was a perfect bright blue, fading to pastel as it met the snowy horizon. The sun cast the mountain peaks in a dazzling white glow, and while it was cold, the sunshine tricked Eggsy into thinking it wasn’t actually that cold at all. He poured flasks of tea for the two of them. There were a few other small groups of people around them, spread far and wide across the height of the mountain, and the sounds of the skiers down below provided a happy background noise. Harry and Eggsy clinked their mugs.

“Cheers.”

“Cheers.” Eggsy watched the steam rise from his mug, distorting the view of the mountains and quaint Austrian town in the valley below. Their conversation was relaxed, easy, interspersed with moments of content quiet. It was such a… romantic situation that Eggsy had to regret coming up with the picnic idea. How much did he really want to hurt himself? If he really did have feelings for Harry- which was becoming more and more apparent, daily- shouldn’t he be doing best to get over him? 

Eggsy couldn’t work with Harry and fancy him. That was an impossibility. He could barely believe that he was having these feelings anyway- growing up in the environment he did made it hard to come to terms with the fact that he might not actually be straight. The term bisexual was barely on his radar until he got older, and even then, if he’d shown any sign of having even the slightest homosexual tendency, life at home would have been that much worse. So, actually, realising his feelings for Harry was that much fucking scarier. And it made it that much more impossible that he should tell him. 

Even when they were laughing together on top of a snowy mountain sharing a picnic. Yes, even then.

God, how was he meant to deal with this? As if Harry would ever consider someone his age. Eggsy didn’t want to think about it too much, but even his class might get in the way of anything happen. How humiliated would Harry be to find out that his student fancied him? No, it was too awful. 

It was a shame that the man Eggsy could imagine trusting implicitly, actually being able to form some sort of relationship with, was his mentor and co-worker. And wildly out of his league. The age thing was just a cherry on top of the this-relationship-will-never-happen sundae. 

It didn’t bare thinking about. So he didn’t. Instead he gave his full attention to the man next to him. 

“I still have no idea why you’re called Eggsy, you know.” Harry refilled Eggsy’s mug of tea. 

He shrugged, warm and content, the joy of Harry’s company buzzing through him. “I got it when I was, like, five? I dunno, it just stuck.” Harry waited for an actual explanation. Eggsy shuffled uncomfortably. “Jamal and Ryan was round for tea, and mum had made ham egg and chips, ‘cept I don’t like eggs, so I didn’t have any. Everyone started calling me Eggsy to piss me off, and my dad found it fucking hilarious, so it stuck. Yeh.”

“Surely it can’t be so simple as that,” Harry laughed.

“I mean, why? Were you wanting somethin’ more complicated?” 

“It’s just a little anticlimactic. It’s a terrible reason to be called Eggsy your whole life.”

“Oh yeh? I wasn’t the one who chose it, was I?” he smiled, trying some of the local cheese he’d bought in town yesterday. Fucking amazing.

“Well, I suppose if the alternative is Gary…”

Eggsy shoved Harry. “Fuck off, Harry. I bet I’m not the only one with a stupid name in Kingsman. What’s Merlin’s real name?”

“Oh God, he would kill me if I told you. He’s threatened me enough times for me to believe he would.”

“What? Is it embarrassing?” Eggsy asked eagerly. Harry looked away pointedly. “Come on!”

“I’m afraid we’d both have to die if I told you,” Harry said, unable to repress a laugh. Eggsy looked away, desperately trying to supress the bubbling joy and anxiety rising in his chest. 

“It is embarrassing,” he concluded. “God, I’m going to have to get Merlin really drunk one day and ask him.”

They ate and drank and watched for a moment. 

“I’m glad you came, Eggsy.” He turned to look at Harry, the feeling in his chest beginning to boil over. “This has been a vastly more enjoyable mission with you here.”

The mug was warm between his hands. The rest of the world- the view, the sounds of people laughing and talking- disappeared. He tried to mentally tether himself to reality instead of let himself drift away in a day dream, where Harry actually returned his feelings and they lived happily ever after. 

“It’s been nice being here,” he said, in a way that he hoped wasn’t as bashful as he felt. “Couldn’t do it without a chalet boy by your side, could you? What else was I meant to do? You’d be lost without me.”

It had been meant as a joke; Harry was dependent on no one. But the laugh that came from Harry’s throat was forced and thick. “Quite.”

Eggsy would have been happy for the distraction that came, tearing him away from his spiralling thoughts, if it had been anything other than James Ellis-Williams, sauntering up the hill with Jessica. The man spread his arms wide in a sign of surprise and recognition.

“Arthur! Quite a coincidence finding you here. Your little helper bring a picnic too?” Jessica was hauling a cooling bag over her shoulder which seemed to clink with the promise of alcohol. 

“Yes, perfect day for it, too. Would you care to join us?”

“Absolutely,” the man drawled, and Eggsy kicked his reluctant brain into action, pouring their guest a mug of tea. Ellis took it without a thank you. 

_Rude, posh tit,_ he thought. 

“Lovely spot you’ve found up here, Harry,” he began, Jessica lying out a mat for him to sit on. As if skiing gear wasn’t waterproof. Eggsy started unpacking some of the food they hadn’t eaten, throwing Jessica a glance. She returned it. Nothing like the silent judgement of two people working for a complete arsehole. 

What made it worse was that Ellis had started off on a political tirade, after reading something in the paper that morning about Nigel Farage, and was singing his praise. His skin bristled and he shared another furtive glance with Jessica, who pursed her lips. Poor Harry had to go along with it- Eggsy knew for a fact that the man’s political leaning was rather different, and if Ellis had been talking to the real Harry Hart, he would have shut him down immediately. As it was, Harry had a persona to maintain, and responded with some hideous right-wing manifesto that he’d probably had rehearsed on the plane journey over. 

“Of course, I can’t say I agree with the man on everything,” he began. “Clearly many of the Tories and UKIPers aren’t too keen on a little harmless interest in homosexuality.” He said it as if he were meant to be congratulated for being so open minded. Looking around at the party for some sort of positive response. Jessica nodded, Eggsy busied himself with slicing some cheese. 

“Ah. Yes,” Harry said, a little too non-committal for his persona. 

“Nothing the Greeks didn’t do, eh, Danny boy?” The way the man leered at him made Eggsy’s skin crawl. Bile rose to his throat. Harry’s shoulders tensed, and Jessica looked at him with a mixture of pity and fear that Eggsy really, really didn’t like. Everyone had picked up on that, then. Eggsy- or rather, Danny- was Ellis’ new interest. He smiled emptily back at the man. 

“I suppose so,” Eggsy said, trying to force back the disgust in his voice.

“Oh, don’t give me that. I can tell you’re the type,” he chuckled, and Eggsy found he had to laugh back. Harry was smiling serenely, which of course, meant that he was furious. Apparently he wasn’t hiding it very well, either, because Jessica had frozen in the process of pouring more tea.

“Have I over-stepped my boundaries?” James laughed, not at all apologising. He nudged Harry jovially. “Perhaps he’s more your type, old man? No need to feel quite so defensive.”

“Not at all,” Harry said, finally returning to his character, though his jaw was rather more tense than it should have been. “Who’s to say we can’t share.”

Ellis laughed, and Eggsy ducked his head from the man’s gaze. “That’s more like it- it was all getting rather serious, there.” 

As the two men continued to speak, Jessica quietly returning to her work, and Eggsy recoiled in on himself. He’d done plenty of honeypot missions these past few months. He’d been in some pretty embarrassing positions before. But never had he felt so humiliated by a target like this. He supposed this was how Rox felt so often, when she had to spend time with tossers like these. And to hear Harry say that- he knew that that wasn’t him. Of course he did. But it still made him sick, and it made him even more desperate to have this mission fucking over and done with.

 

Eggsy was in his room that evening, messaging Rox. He’d snapchatted her earlier a picture of the village, and some of the chalet, saying _Jealous yet????_. To which the response was Roxy looking grumpy in her office saying _fuck you_. 

He had told her. Everything- from his newly discovered feelings for Harry, his skiing lessons, to what had happened with Ellis. All of it, of course, appeared innocent to anyone who might be reading his messages- all their chat revealed was that Eggsy was a love sick chalet boy, and his host’s friend was fucking creepy.

_What the fuck do I do tho_ he asked her. _Harry’s my boss?? I can’t just swan up to him all like ‘how you doin’ ;)_

_I mean, you could_ she said unhelpfully. _I can’t believe you’ve only just noticed this lol_

_???????_ he frantically typed. He eagerly awaited her response as he watched the ellipses appear, showing she was typing. 

_Come on silly boy_ , was all she said. 

_???????!!!!!!??????_ , he replied.

A gif of a celebrity he didn’t know face-palming. 

_You literally worship the man. I’ve literally never seen anyone with such obvious heart eyes before_

_Please tell me your fucking joking, Rox_

_You’d like that wouldn’t you, but no. You’re not very subtle, lovely. Even if you only just realised it yourself ___

_Jesussssss_

_It’s hilarious how obtuse you are_

_This is ducking not funny_. Stupid Autocorrect. _*fucking_

_I mean I doubt you’re the first. He’s hot. I bet loads of people have fancied him before_

_Sure but we’re working together?? I can’t work with him like this_

_Well then maybe you should tell him?_

_Hahahahahahahah fucking yeh good plan I’ll just go tell him now_

_good luck :P_ , she said. Fucking hell, the arsehole. 

__There was a knock at the door. “Eggsy? May I come in?”_ _

__

__

__He swiped the conversation away, going onto Twitter. “Yeh, come in.”_ _

__

__

__Harry came in and stopped in his tracks almost instantly. “Bloody hell.”_ _

__Oh yeh. The mess._ _

__“Uh, yeh, sorry. Never really unpacked. Everything alright?”_ _

__Harry nodded, tiptoeing around Eggsy’s stuff on the floor towards Eggsy’s bed. He laid a hand on Eggsy’s shoulder. “I’m sorry about that awful conversation we had today. I hope you know that if I’d had my way, I’d have probably chopped off his dick by now.”_ _

__Eggsy barked a surprised laugh. “Yeh, yeh I do, don’t worry ‘bout it Harry. We can chop his dick off when we’ve got him arrested, yeh?”_ _

__Harry gave a stiff nod, removing his hand carefully. “Good. Unfortunately you may have to put up with more of it. We’re expected at his for lunch tomorrow.”_ _

__Eggsy nodded. “I’m worried about Jessica, though. Is there any way we can get her out of there?”_ _

__“Merlin has intercepted Ellis’ security cameras. He’s informed me that nothing has happened, and that if anything should, we have permission to intervene.”_ _

__“Aight,” he said, though it didn’t feel like enough. Then again, maybe it wasn’t Jessica he should be worrying about, now. Harry gave another tight nod before leaving the room, leaving Eggsy to collapse back onto his head and groan angrily to himself._ _

__This mission sucked. This _whole_ mission sucked. He didn’t care that it was paradise. Everything was awful and he wanted to go home to Roxy and get drunk with her and tell her everything. He wanted Ellis behind bars. He wanted to stop being in love with Harry fucking Hart._ _


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eggsy hasn't *quite* perfected skiing yet. He needs quite a lot of help from Harry.

Eggsy and Harry were at Ellis-William’s chalet. Jessica was taking care of the post-lunch tea and cake, and Eggsy was happy to escape for a moment- if not to make a copy of the man’s key. 

“The front door has an electronic lock,” Merlin began to speak into his glasses, “as you know- so all you need to do is press the left hook of your glasses, directing them towards his key. They should be able to read the code and transfer it to Kingsman so we can make you a copy. Clear?”

“Clear,” Eggsy replied, trying not to be distracted by the enormous impressionist painting of a naked woman hanging by the man’s front door. There was a table by the door, and a porcelain bowl with the key card in it. “That looks like it. Can’t be sure, though.”

“A key’s a key. Scan it and keep looking for any others looking around.”

It would be a bit bloody obvious if he tried out the key on the front door right now, he decided. Eggsy held the simple white card up to his glasses, pressing the hook by his ear. He could see his lenses scanning the card. “Got it.”

“Roger that.” He looked around the large entrance hall, spying a tiny security camera in the umbrella stand. Grateful that Merlin was clever enough to have disabled them already, he searched the man’s coat pockets hanging in an unreasonably large cloakroom. A recognisably shaped length of metal fell into his hand. A traditional, old fashioned key. 

“Might be a back door key?” Eggsy tried. “Or a locker key at the resort?”

“Did you bring your cigarette case?” Merlin asked. 

“Course I did, ain’t stupid am I? As if anyone’s used one of these this century,” Eggsy muttered, pulling the gold cigarette box from the pocket of his smart trousers. Apparently being a chalet boy meant he had to look the part, too. He really didn’t see how this job was all that different from being a servant in Downton Abbey. He placed the key inside it and pressed. After a moment, there was a small beep.

“I’ve just received the indentation,” Merlin said. “Keep your eyes peeled for a traditional lock about the house.”

“Yeh, yeh,” Eggsy replied. “I’ve got to be serving dessert in a minute, though, so better get a move on.”

He was searching the other coat pockets, coming up with nothing, and had decided to try the man’s bedroom for anything useful, when Merlin said cheerily, “How are you finding St Anton Am Alberg, Eggsy?”

He ferreted through Ellis’ bedside drawers, nose crinkling at the large bottle of lube and a significant lack of condoms. No key, though. “Yeah, beautiful, mate. Fucking fair tale level shit, innit?”

“Have you been skiing yet?”

“Ha. Yeah, I tried. Well, more, Harry tried to teach me. I fell flat on my face. Snowboarding’s more my thing,” Eggsy said, happily missing out how much fun he’d had that day with Harry. 

“Mmm, yes,” Merlin replied cryptically. Eggsy paused his work, looking up suspiciously as if Merlin could see his expression. “Well, if you get a chance, you should pop into the village and try Raffl’s. Apparently they do excellent fondue.”

“You been?” Eggsy asked, unconvinced. He wasn’t fooled by Merlin’s tone- he was up to something, he just wasn’t sure what yet. 

“No. Tripadvisor says so, though.” There was a heavy, questioning pause between them. 

“You tryin’ to set me and Harry up or somethin’?” Eggsy joked nervously, closing the bedroom door behind him, having searched the obvious places without disturbing anything too much. 

“What are you insinuating, Eggsy?” Merlin asked, and he could hear the fucker’s smile. 

“Fucking- nothing, Jesus fuck,” Eggsy scoffed. “Why don’t you come over and go fondue-ing with Harry yourself, if you’re so fucking interested?”

“I don’t believe I said anything about the two of you going together?” Merlin asked innocently. 

Eggsy’s heart rose to his throat. He froze at the top of the stairs. “Wait- Merlin-” he hissed through his teeth, trying to keep his voice down, but unable to quell his stress.

“I’m afraid I’ve got to go, Eggsy,” Merlin said, practically laughing. “Enjoy your evening- and the fondue.”

“Merlin? Merlin!” He whispered loudly. “Merlin- oh, you fucker.”

How much did he know? How did he fucking know anything? What the fuck?

 

 

Eggsy seemed a little on edge as they made their way in their gear to the resort. The boy’s jaw was tightly set, his eyes darting around as he appeared to be thinking about something. 

“Alright there, Eggsy?”

He looked at him in surprise, snapped out of his reverie. “Yeah, yeah. Just thinking about the mission, s’all.”

“Ah,” Harry said, unconvinced but happy to let his behaviour slide. “Are you willing to let me continue to teach you to ski?” 

Eggsy looked at him in surprise again, mouth opening and closing as he formulated a response. 

“If you’d prefer not to-”

“No. Nah,” he interrupted, that tense expression returning again. “Nah, sounds good. Now I know I can snowboard, psychologically speaking I shouldn’t find skiing all the different, yeh?”

“Well, quite,” Harry agreed. “I reckon you’d enjoy it if you gave it a real chance.”

It turned out that he had been right- Eggsy had overcome any preconceptions he had about skiing before and was gliding naturally down the slope beside him. It occurred to Harry that what had held him back may have been class related; it was clear that this was a sport only the upper class enjoyed, and a part of Eggsy appeared to feel uncomfortable at the resort. He wasn’t meant to be here, by his estimations, and he wasn’t the type to be skiing. This assumption wasn’t on guessing alone- he had been on edge this whole time. During the Lancelot trials, he had had a bad case of chip-on-shoulder. The times Harry had taken him out to dinner in the finer parts of town, Eggsy would shift in his seat and look around nervously. Now, however, the boy seemed to have passed the ski related obstacle, swerving side to side in time with Harry.

“Right,” Harry announced, stopping at the bottom of the slope and extending a hand instinctively as Eggsy came to a wobbly holt. “I’m going to get a cup of tea at the café there. Meanwhile, you can go up to the top of the slope and try by yourself.”

“Got it,” Eggsy nodded, making his way to the lift. He turned around for a moment. “You know this ain’t training, right?”

Harry smiled. He supposed he had been especially mentor-y. “You never know what skills you will need, as a Kingsman. Best try to master anything that comes your way.”

“Right,” Eggsy nodded. “I’ll just ski my targets to death, yeh?”

“You never know,” Harry repeated, and Eggsy laughed. It was a wonderful sound, and Harry was ashamed by how much it made his heart swell. He watched him ascend the hill, before finding the café. Perhaps he would get it to take away, so he could watch Eggsy’s descent and critique him.

“You insufferable flirt,” came a recognisable, gentle Scottish accent in his goggles. 

“Fuck off,” Harry said primly. 

“It’s absolutely shocking, a man your age lusting over a boy like him.”

“Aren’t you the one who said I had to do something about it?” Harry said, a hint of bitterness to his voice despite the light-hearted nature of the conversation.

“Oh, is that what this is? You sorting it out? I’m sorry, I had no idea.”

“Insufferable,” Harry muttered. “Look, as I see it, I have two options,” Harry said, ignoring the people staring at him, thinking he was arguing with himself. Luckily, most people would probably assume he had headphones attached to a phone, somewhere. “Either, I continue to be a grumpy old sod and project my feelings onto my work, or, I treat the man the way he deserves. Act civilly.”

Merlin paused long enough that Harry had thought he’d fucked off as he marched grumpily to the café and took off his skis at the door. 

“You think those are your only two options? Ignore it badly or ignore it nicely?”

“Well, what do you suggest, Merlin?”

“Bloody well do something about it!” he replied incredulously. “In all my years knowing you, Harry Hart, I’ve never seen you so wilfully ignore a problem. You’re all practicality, even if you are a stubborn bastard. So why should this be any different?”

“You know bloody well why,” Harry argued. “In your own words, it’s absolutely shocking for me to consider such a thing.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t talk to the boy about it,” Merlin said seriously. “He deserves to know why you’re behaving like an arse.”

“What a marvellous idea,” Harry muttered sarcastically. “I’ll just tell him that his lecherous old mentor has feelings for him.” 

Merlin sighed loudly. “You are fucking impossible.”

“As are you, dear friend, as are you.”

The man on the other end of the phone sighed again. “Look. I have to go Harry. Let me know if anything changes, will you?” Whether he was referencing the mission or Harry’s predicament, it didn’t matter. 

“Naturally,” he said, taking his cup of tea and moving back out into the cold. With that Merlin was gone and he was alone to continue teaching Eggsy to ski. Reattaching his skis and gliding over to the bottom of the slope, well out of everyone’s way, he could see Eggsy making his way down at an alarming speed. 

“Oh, bloody hell,” he said to himself. 

The thing that was alarming was that Eggsy was obviously accelerating on purpose, leaning forward like he was trying for the fucking Olympics. There was skill in the way he moved, Harry noted, but typically of Eggsy, he was going to struggle to slow down and come to a stop if he let his impulsive nature get the better of him. 

“Slow down, slow down,” Harry muttered. Eggsy was, but not soon enough. “Christ.”

Harry put down his tea, forgotten, and braced himself. He was going to have to slow him down himself, unless he wanted to fly off into the village. Just as he skied into the line of fire, forming a barrage with his body, he could hear Eggsy’s voice crescendo-ing comically as he got closer. 

“FuuuuuuuuuuUUUUUUU-!”

With a thwump, Eggsy collided into Harry, who tried to break with his own skis, and it was working, until they got tangled up in Eggsy’s and they both went flying backwards into the snow. Eggsy landed gracelessly on Harry, who received him with an ‘oof’. People had stopped and were staring, not that either man noticed as they both burst out laughing.

“Christ,” Harry laughed, and Eggsy propped himself up slowly, looking down at him, cheeks pink, eyes bright behind his goggles, grin wide. 

“Fucking hell,” Eggsy laughed childishly. “If you hadn’t fucking caught me-”

“You would have caused quite a scene,” Harry replied giddily. 

And it settled on him that they were, in fact, causing one right now. Eggsy’s smile faded as the same realization appeared to fall on him. He coughed uncomfortably, rolling off Harry and lying sprawled in the snow as Harry hauled himself back onto his skis. 

“That was fucking hilarious.” Eggsy was smiling again, snow angeled on the ground. He laughed brightly. “I’m gonna go again.”

“No, Eggsy,” Harry said a little quickly. “Perhaps we should stop for today.”

“Yeah, fair,” Eggsy agreed. He managed to lift himself back up onto his skis, taking them off and sighing gratefully when he was able to walk again. “If I drop these off first, then- there’s this place in town that’s meant to do fondue, or summut. If you want to join?”

Harry found he couldn’t turn down such an offer, adrenaline still coursing through him. “Absolutely,” he said with a smile to match Eggsy’s. What was this boy turning him into?

 

Fondue was fucking good. Eggsy had never had it, but the cheese was amazing, the meat was amazing, the bread was _amazing_ , and he knew that they did chocolate fondue too and was wondering if it was socially acceptable to have both, one after the other. 

“You would probably die of a heart attack,” Harry mused. “But I see no harm in ordering both if you’ve never had it before.”

“Mmmm,” Eggsy agreed, trying to wrap the string of cheese onto his piece of bread by twirling the fork, but it didn’t work. The cheese ended up on the table and on his shirt. “Ah, fucking hell. How do you even eat this shit?”

“With difficulty,” Harry replied, but the fucker didn’t seem to be struggling at all, delicately eating his share like the gentleman he was. 

“Do they train you to eat fondue in Kingsman?” Eggsy asked as he ruthlessly stabbed a piece of ham. “Or did I miss that part of training?” 

“Observe,” Harry said. He seemed relaxed, but there was still that sense of discomfort that Eggsy had been picking up from him for for a while now. Maybe it was the intimate nature of this little date they had going, thanks to Merlin. Well, not really- Eggsy had been the one to suggest it to Harry. 

Dear God, how fucked was he? Watching Harry show him how to fucking eat fondue without getting it everywhere. His face was slightly tanned and his eyes glistening with interest in the task before him. Even in a ski suit he looked well put together. Today had been more like a date than Eggsy cared to admit. He had literally fallen on top of Harry, laughing like a high school student in love. He hated this. Hated, hated, hated it. The poor man was just trying to get on with his mission, make the most out of the resort, maybe have a nice time with his student. Meanwhile, Eggsy was staring at him like he had the answers to the fucking universe, wondering what his lips felt like on his. He didn’t want any of this to end. But it had to.

It had to.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The penny finally drops.

Eggsy came inside after an afternoon of snowboarding to clear his head of all the bickering voices going round and round, arguing about what to do about Harry Hart. His nose was cold and his lips were chapped. He was pretty sure he’d caught the sun on his face, and he was exhausted. A pretty awesome feeling, he found, and the long, warm bath he took next was even better. When he came downstairs again, he found Harry drinking outside, wrapped up against the cold. It was infuriating, how warm the sight made Eggsy. Deciding to brave it, he popped his head around the veranda door. 

“Evening.”

Harry looked up at him. “Hello, Eggsy. Care to join me?”

The view was spectacular tonight. The purple blue of dusk was settling over the mountains, and the snowy incline down to the village was silent and pure white. He hugged the cable knit jumper closer to him and sat down. 

“Yeah. Yeah, aight. What you drinking?” 

Harry looked down at his mug a little sheepishly. “Cocao. With a splash of bourbon,” he added, as if that made it more manly. Eggsy snorted and let him pour him a mug from the flask sitting next to him. Harry leant back in his chair, legs crossed, watching the view.

“It’s not often you have an opportunity like this,” he began. Eggsy watched him. He was bathed in the pinkish blue light of the evening sky, looking serene and relaxed, hair swept back, glasses framing his sharp, handsome features. Eggsy swallowed. “Not much time for peace and quiet for a Kingsman, is there?”

“No,” Eggsy scoffed. “Been one thing after a-bloody-nother.” The bourbon burnt his throat pleasantly. He leant forward, resting his elbows on his knees and looking over the veranda. “Year ago, I’d’ve never dreamed I’d be here. Somewhere like this.” _With someone like you_.

“No. Life is full of surprises.” 

He sensed a double entendre to his words. In fact, this whole week in Austria had been bizarrely ambiguous. Everything Harry said was cryptic, quiet. There was something about the way he spoke, acted, that suggested he wasn’t the man of certainty Eggsy had known before, before all the Kentucky stuff had gone down. That distant look in his dark eyes, furrowed brow, the tense aura he carried around with him; it gave Eggsy hope for what he knew couldn’t be true. He coughed, as if to send away the traitorous thoughts.

And yet the Harry who sat here, the Harry he’d spent the past few days with, had been so much more hesitant than the one who had trained him. Of course, when he was talking to James, he was under cover; Eggsy didn’t doubt in the façade the agent put up so well. And yet Harry seemed to falter where he didn’t before. There were moments of hesitation before he spoke, his actions and gestures less smooth, certain. 

Maybe Eggsy wouldn’t have noticed these things if he weren’t a secret agent. Or, if he weren’t head over heels in love with Harry Hart. 

And how had he been acting? He had been a soppy mess when they had gone to explore the local romantic little town together. Surely Harry knew. Surely he could use his powers of deduction to figure it out. It had to be obvious, and part of Eggsy wished it were, so he didn’t have to make the first move, so that Harry could either shun him, or-

“Are you alright, Eggsy?”

Harry was looking at him with an expression that wasn’t quite concern- no. It was a knowing smile, as if he knew what Eggsy had been thinking. 

“Fine,” he replied. He took another burning gulp of his drink. “Just… been a weird few days. Months.”

“In what way?” Harry asked in quiet interest. Quiet. Even before the mission. He had been quiet, distant. And now, he was looking at him in a way that made Eggsy forget the view, where they were, or why they were there. 

“Just,” he began. He felt light headed. A mixture of anxiety and alcohol. “One day your mentor… friend, is dead. Then there he is again, not dead. And then you’re sharing a chalet in Austria with him.”

Harry took a measured breath. “Yes. I am sorry for that you know,” he said, the old Harry returning in that cocky, sweet little smile. Eggsy laughed. 

“He says he’s sorry,” Eggsy says in disbelief. “He dies, comes back to life, and he’s fucking sorry.” Harry laughed, and Eggsy laid back and stretched his legs out, brushing against Harry’s. He found he didn’t want to move them. The curiosity, the impulsive drive that was so natural to him kept him there, calf leaning against Harry’s shin. 

“Technically, I didn’t die at all, Eggsy.” He was smiling, and his cheeks were flushed from a combination of laughing, cold, and warm drink. It was almost too much for Eggsy- it was impossible not to stare.

“No, we just thought you did.”

“Exactly. And yet Merlin still doesn’t trust me to a solo mission- despite the fact that I didn’t die at all.”

Eggsy looked into his mug. “Hope I’ve not been cramping your style, or whatever,” he joked, though he was ashamed to feel a part of him desperate to hear his answer. 

“Not in the slightest. In fact, I think people have been thinking rather a lot of me, landing myself with such a handsome chalet boy.”

Eggsy’s cheeks burned. “Fuck off,” he replied, since that was the only answer he knew right now. He laughed away the comment, whilst Harry merely watched him. 

Eggsy leant forward again, bumping knees with Harry. “Bet the others are fucking jealous, back home. Lancelot and Merlin are back in London, meanwhile we’re…” he gestured to the view. 

“Hmm,” Harry agreed behind him. He turned his head to see that he was looking at him, not the view. He turned back, eyes tracing the mountainous horizon, the line of fir trees in the distance, the ski tracks in the snow like snail trails. 

“It’s been a pleasure,” Harry began, pausing as he seemed to gather his words. Hesitating, again. “Watching you fulfil your potential.” 

Eggsy huffed. “Wouldn’t’ve become the agent I am without you,” he said simply, because it was true.

Harry sighed, sounding frustrated. “Not only as an agent, Eggsy. As a man; you seem… a much happier man than the one I met in Holborn.”

Was he? Eggsy supposed that he was in many ways. And yet, even after Harry had returned from America, there was always the lingering sense that something wasn’t quite finished yet; there was a painful anticipation that he’d been carrying around with him. It was only recently that he’d identified that as having unrequited feelings for Harry. 

“In some ways,” he replied cryptically. It was nice for once to feel like he was holding back on Harry, rather than the other way around. Harry leant forward to meet him, and Eggsy found himself lean his arm into him briefly. 

“Eggsy, I’d like to apologise. For being quite so distant recently.”

“Huh- so I haven’t been imagining it.”

Harry pursed his lips for a moment. “No. You haven’t.” They were looking at each other, and Eggsy’s gaze flickered between the man’s dark, suddenly intense eyes and his lips.

And so his impulsive nature took over, and before Eggsy could do anything about it, he was leaning in slowly to kiss Harry, who’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. His brain kicked back into action when their noses brushed, and he pulled himself away. They stared at each other, confusion and shock hanging heavy between them.

“I’ve- I’ve got to go-” Eggsy urgently scraped his chair back, stumbling backwards inside the chalet.

“Eggsy-” 

Eggsy shoved his shoes on and plunged himself into the cold outside again, storming through the snow. He didn’t turn back to see Harry standing in the doorway, watching him go.

What an idiot he was. Did he really think he could control this? Did he really think he could work with Harry when he had these feelings? 

“Fucking idiot,” he growled to himself. “Such a fucking stupid twat.” He marched up a snowy path, without any clue where it would take him. It was dark now, and the cold was bitter. He wished he’d thought to bring a coat before he’d rushed out into the snow. Had he really just tried to kiss Harry? Had he really said any of those things? That was it- he couldn’t trust himself anymore. Every time he saw him he was reminded of his feelings for him- how could he perform this mission properly with his head like this? He couldn’t, not if things were going to stay like this forever.

But what if? Part of Eggsy’s brain taunted him. What if Harry had been acting weirdly all this time because he had feelings for him too? The idea was too ridiculous for Eggsy to even think about without laughing bitterly to himself. 

“He’s in his fifties,” he said to himself out loud. “And he’s got better fucking things to be doin’ than pining after you, you twat.”

His feet fell into the deep snow, and it took a lot of effort to pull them out again whilst walking up hill. He thought of all the people he’d liked and loved, all the people who’d broken his heart, and considered how much better Harry was than any of them. But then, that was exactly why Harry wouldn’t feel the same way for him. He was his student, for fuck’s sake- young, impulsive, and already broken. There was a reason Eggsy had only dated assholes. These feelings of his were doomed, not to mention illogical- to fall in love? To really, properly fall in love with a man twice your age. A man that was so suave and so fucking together- it made no sense, the two of them, and he’d been telling himself as much for the past week.

Maybe that had been why Harry had been acting weirdly. He was a secret agent after all- maybe he’d known Eggsy’s feelings before he had himself. Fuck, if that was the case, he was officially leaving Kingsman and living in a hole for the rest of his fucking life. 

He entered a clearing and fell back onto his arse, staring at his tracks in the snow, and the chalet which seemed far too close for how far he felt he’d walked. Yes- Eggsy was in love with Harry Hart. But he didn’t have to be. He didn’t have to be, not if it meant that it got in the way of the mission, of their friendship. He would get over this. Watching his breath blossom in front of his face, he couldn’t even convince himself. 

Well, when he returned to the chalet- that is, if he didn’t retire in the mountains and become a yeti out of humiliation- he would be faced with either of two realities. One- Harry would tell him he didn’t return his feelings. And Eggsy would have to find a way to get over him, whatever it took. Or, option two- Harry did return his feelings. In which case… he didn’t know what would happen.

It took half an hour before he could gather enough mental energy to face his fate.

 

Harry was beginning to really worry when Eggsy quietly entered the chalet again.

“Bloody hell, Eggsy,” he leapt up from his seat by the fire, grabbing a blanket from the back of the sofa and wrapping it around the boy. “What were you thinking?”

Eggsy’s jaw was set, as it often was when he was hiding something. “Needed to think.”

“Ah, so as a general rule, when you want to escape difficult conversations, you freeze yourself to death?” he replied, though he found there was no bitterness to his words. No- he loved the man who he was guiding to the fireplace, he loved him and right now, he could scarcely be angry with him.

“Sometimes,” Eggsy joked, and he reluctantly settled in front of the fire, looking behind him like he was searching for an escape route. “I’m fine, Harry, just- I’m fine.”

Harry stood, looking down at Eggsy, who’s fierce face was illuminated by the burning fire. The tartan blanket covered his shoulders, but he couldn’t conceal his shivers. Harry fell back into the seat behind him. 

“What just happened, Eggsy?” he asked gently.

Impossible as it seemed, Eggsy set his jaw even more firmly and stared resolutely into the fire. A suspicious glance flicked his way, and Harry couldn’t help but smile to himself, holding back a chuckle. He was so stubborn. Crossing his legs and leaning back into his chair, in an attempt to appear calm, he waited.

“You died, Harry.” His breath hitched slightly in shock at his words. “You died, and then you came back, and everything was meant to back to normal, but didn’t did it? It fucking didn’t.” His stoic façade was crumbling away as he spoke, and God, Harry found his restraint was going along with it. He went to sit beside him on the floor. “When you came back, I thought everything would be perfect again, yeh? But…” he shook his head, unsure how to go on. Eggsy’s eyes fell to his hands, clasped on his tucked knees. “It felt like you was even more distant than when you were dead. Sometimes it felt like you never really came back, and other times it felt like something had changed between us. I dunno, it’s fucking stupid-”

“No,” Harry interrupted before Eggsy could panic and run off again. “I- I understand. And you’re not the only one to have noticed. Merlin has said as much himself. I haven’t come back the man I was before.”

A silence, promising more secrets, hummed between them. “Tha’s not it though, is it?” Eggsy prompted. Harry breathed deeply.

“No. No, it’s not Eggsy.” 

For so long now, he had argued with himself about what to say in this moment. More often than not, he persuaded himself not to say anything; Eggsy was unlikely to feel the same way he did about their relationship. And yet, sat here next to him, wrapped up in a blanket in front of a fire- he had tried to kiss him, only an hour before. And he had noticed how terribly he had been coping with all of this. No- something had to give. 

“I believe the first time I realised things had changed between us was in my downstairs loo,” he began, and Eggsy smiled a silent laugh. “I was so frustrated with you, and I couldn’t quite figure out why until I left for America. Of course, by that point, things had gone tits up. When I came back to Kingsman, saw how well you were doing, I knew that… it seemed unnecessary to burden you with my concerns- my feelings.”

Eggsy was still staring at his clasped hands, listening, considering. 

“I don’t understand,” he said so weakly that it broke Harry’s heart. 

With his last ounce of emotional energy, Harry mustered this: “Oh, Eggsy, is it not obvious? Do I need to say it out loud?”

“Yes, you fucking idiot,” Eggsy said wearily. “I’m not gonna guess am I?”

They were looking at each other. The firelight was dancing in Eggsy’s bright, earnest eyes. Harry was terrified. God he was terrified, to be pouring his heart out like this, in a way he never had before. And then, a sort of calm certainty settled upon him. 

“I’m in love with you,” he said simply. 

Eggsy looked at him searchingly. The blanket had fallen from his shoulders. His eyes were full of suspicion and disbelief. It drove Harry crazy, and his hand cupped Eggsy’s face. “You don’t believe me.”

The boy hesitated. “I don’t know how long I’ve…” Eggsy started before taking a deep breath. “Everything’s changed. I didn’t, not first, but now...” 

Neither of them were sure what to do next, it appeared. Harry saw the man in front of him, vulnerable in a way he’d never seen him before. Always so sincere, so considerate, yet capricious and defensive. So quick to judge, while Harry was too proud to acknowledge his feelings for the miracle that sat in front of him. Not long ago they hadn’t known each other, and the concept seemed alien to Harry as his thumb stroked along Eggsy’s cheek bone. His eyes fluttered shut against the touch. He was like a frightened animal, ready to run at any moment that threatened danger. Eggsy had seen his fair share of cruelty and evil in this world, and to trust Harry enough to let him see him, touch him like this, was an honour he would take to his grave. Had anyone seen behind the cocky, confident façade of Eggsy Unwin before? Was there anything quite so beautiful as this delicate moment? 

Eggsy leaned into Harry’s touch, and he felt Eggsy’s hand run up his arm in curiosity. 

“I’ve fallen in love with you,” he whispered, like it was a confession to a sin. 

Harry could not let Eggsy doubt himself any longer. He placed a gentle kiss on his still parted lips, halting any words he might have been considering. They shared each other’s breath, hesitant, frightened to break the fragile moment. And then suddenly they were kissing properly, Harry’s hand moving to cup Eggsy’s neck whilst Eggsy’s hand had found his chest. The touch shot through him, and their gentle kisses became more earnest, slow, meaningful. He found himself being pulled forward, Eggsy’s hands now running through his hair, his tongue searching, and Harry could barely keep his breathing under control, neither of them particularly willing to break for breath. His skin was soft, tantalising, and Harry wanted to plant kisses all over him, so he did, lining his sharp jaw with them before finding his neck, Eggsy’s hands running up his back. 

“Harry,” Eggsy breathed. “God… all this time…”

Harry’s kisses were reciprocated, he could feel Eggsy’s lips on his collar bone and his breath quivered as he nuzzled the man’s neck. Eggsy pulled him down, their legs entwined, and, happily, lying on a fur rug. The fire was dwindling by their feet, not that either man noticed, Harry certainly hadn’t, especially since Eggsy’s thigh was grazing his hip and he was kissing him so deeply, it was so much more than he had every allowed himself to imagine, he tasted warm and he couldn’t love anything or anyone more than Eggsy into his moment, so soft and pliant under his roaming hands, so trusting and eager to discover him, them.

Pulling out of the kiss, he looked down at him, eyes dark with desire, outlined with that sharp green. My God, how beautiful he was, those tense features he held only moments ago dissolved under Harry’s touch. How grateful he was to be able to stroke his now soft face, lips red and eyes half lidded, hair awry. He knew in that moment that he would always love Eggsy Unwin in all that he was, that he was fated to worship him, to spend his life trying to give him everything he deserved. Now, he looked up at Harry with love and expectation, as they shared this silent message of devotion.

Harry kissed him again, and if there were any way that he could convey all that he was feeling into one kiss, he hoped he was doing it, and when he felt Eggsy roll his body underneath his, his breath hitched. “Eggsy…” he whispered, and the man smiled into his kiss, the cheeky bastard, mischievously rolling his hips again. Harry let a hand roam under Eggsy’s jumper, and he was so warm, too warm, and Eggsy hummed in appreciation at his touch. When he began to suck on his neck he stifled a gasp.

“Fuck, Harry, just take me, I’m yours-”

And that was all it took for Harry to sit up and pull Eggsy up with him, reverently stripping the man’s jumper and shirt off. His body, his face, they were bright in the dying light of the fire, and he felt almost sinful for being allowed to touch this image of perfection. Eggsy pulled his own jumper off, and the two of them paused for a brief moment, surveying each other, before Eggsy pulled him back into the kiss, straddling Harry’s lap. Harry looked up at him, hands roaming up his back, along his waist, along his bitten neck, through his hair. 

“You’re looking at me like…” Eggsy faltered, a disbelieving smile on his face. 

“You’re everything,” Harry finished. Eggsy blinked, pure amazement on his face. Harry decided to kiss that look of his face, pulling him closer, moaning quietly when he felt their erections graze each other, Eggsy determined to pull more noises out of him as he began to grind, and Harry held him like he’d never let go, gentle but sure. 

“All this time I’ve loved you,” Eggsy gasped. “Fuck…”

Harry unbuttoned Eggsys jeans, palming his erection and making him whine into his mouth, his hands gripping him tight in anticipation. When he finally took him in his hand the breath rushed out of him, his head tilting back, allowing Harry to kiss and bite the perfect curve of his neck. How beautiful he was like this, ready and open and giving, his bare skin warm, his smell leaving Harry light headed. Eggsy rolled against Harry’s movements, his breath fast and heavy against Harry’s neck where his face was now nestled. 

“Fuck,” Eggsy rasped, trying to hug himself closer whilst wanting to give Harry room to stroke him, before making a quiet growl and pushing himself away. He clumsily wrestled himself out of his trousers and pants, making them both laugh giddily, and Harry followed suit, arms outstretched to bring him back into his embrace. The contact of pure bare skin, Eggsy climbing on top of him was enough to bring out another moan, and Eggsy hummed in reply. But now Eggsy had decided it was his turn, and when he gripped Harry’s erection his breath hitched and his eyes fluttered shut involuntarily, when what he wanted was to respond to Eggsy’s intense, unwavering gaze. 

“Lube,” Eggsy said. 

“Shit,” Harry swore. “It’s upstairs…”

“Come on, then,” Eggsy announced, and before he knew it they were in Harry’s bedroom, and Harry was pushing Eggsy onto his bed, just where he’d wanted him for so long now, and moments later he’d thrown a condom on the bed beside him, lubed his fingers, teasing Eggsy’s hole, watching him squirm beneath him as he tested with one, two, three fingers. He watched him unerringly, as his chest rose and fell, his mouth open with unspoken arousal, eyes fluttering open and closed, neck craning back in pleasure when Harry found the right spot. These were things he’d only fantasized about at night, or shamefully touching himself in the shower, and yet now Eggsy was moaning beneath him and it was almost too much to bare, the hand he was leaning on gripping the bed sheets by Eggsy’s head.

“Fuck, God,” Eggsy croaked. “Harry, just- I want you-”

He gave the man what he wanted, and he couldn’t stifle the noise that came out of his mouth as he entered him slowly, Eggsy’s legs wrapping around him, the breath stuttering out of him. He had fallen silent, and so had Harry, and they were moving with each other at first with a slow purpose, Eggsy gripping the covers in his hands, but then things became more desperate and Eggsy gasping and panting, and Harry couldn’t take his eyes off him.

“Harry,” Eggsy whined, and he knew what that meant.

“Come on,” he said hoarsely, “come on, you beautiful man-”

It seemed to work. Moments later Eggsy’s back arched involuntarily, mouth open in wordless ecstasy, breath hitching, and it was miraculous- enough to push Harry over the edge, leaving him breathless and light headed. 

He rolled onto his back beside Eggsy, chest rising and falling rapidly. Eggsy’s hands flew to his forehead. 

“Fuck,” he said.

“Fuck,” Harry agreed.

“So, you love me,” Eggsy said, like he was making sure he’d remembered the grocery list properly. 

“Yes. And you?”

“Yes, fuck, yes,” Eggsy replied. A laugh suddenly bubbled out of him. “God, we’re really fucked.”

Harry closed his eyes and sighed. “Personally, I’ve been fucked for a long time. If anything, I should say this will make things a little easier for the both of us.”

Eggsy laughed giddily. “Fucking hell. I mean, I suppose. No more awkward tiptoeing.”

“Mmm,” Harry agreed lethargically, rolling onto his side and looking down at Eggsy. He stroked a strand of hair out of Eggsy’s damp face, his expression one of pure joy and amusement. 

“I can’t believe this just happened. Is happening,” he corrected. He looked up at Harry. “Merlin is going to kill us.”

They both laughed at that. “Again, I think if anything, Merlin will be relieved. He’s been nagging me about talking to you about... well.”

“Good conversation,” Eggsy winked. “ _Really_ good conversation.”

“Yes, it was, wasn’t it?” Harry couldn’t supress the grin.

“Harry,” Eggsy said, laughter dying down. “Harry, I just- I want you to know, I’m. I’m serious about this. If we both feel the same way, I mean- I’m not going to arse around yeah?” 

Harry sighed and placed a gentle kiss on the man’s lips. “I intend to take this very seriously. I don’t want this to end here.”

“We’ll make it work?” Eggsy asked. “Even though we work together?”

“We’ll make it work,” Harry asserted. He kissed him again, and for that evening, everything outside of them, their room, was forgotten. 

 

When Eggsy woke up the next morning, Harry was asleep, back turned to him. Stretching himself out of bed, sitting up, the man next to him turned to look at him. 

“Good morning,” he said, rolling onto his back. Never had he believed he’d see Harry with bed hair. It was ridiculously cute. 

“Morning. I was just going to go shower- ah, shit. Merlin.” He leapt up from the bed, grabbing his head in response to the head rush as he made to leave the room. “I was meant to talk to him like, an hour ago.”

They were on his bedside table. Putting them on, he called Merlin.

“Eggsy. Good morning.”

“Sorry, Merlin- overslept.” He rattled off his report of the day before. That was when he felt Harry’s arms wrap around his waist from behind him- not that Merlin could see. 

“Right, well we can deactivate the lock of Ellis-Williams’ house remotely- so I’m going to send Harry over there to find the evidence we need, and you can hold the fort.”

“I’ll let Harry know,” he said with a smirk, as Harry propped his chin on his shoulder. 

“No need, I can tell him myself.” A pause. “Hello, Harry. Did you hear all that?”

Eggsy could feel his face go bright red as Harry sighed loudly- intentionally, but the sounds of it. “Yes, thank you Merlin.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just as a warning- there is an attempt at sexual assault in this scene. I wouldn't usually write about that sort of thing, and the last thing i want to do is make it seem gratuitous- so be sure that the guy is severely punished. and i wont leave you hanging with how the victim processes it. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who's been reading!!

It took a while for Harry to leave Ellis’ chalet- in between kisses and promises of what they’d do when he got back. Harry had been in contact with the man, who’d said that he was out skiing until lunch time. Closing the door behind him as he left, Eggsy leant against it and scrubbed his face with his hand. 

“Fuckin’ ‘ell,” he said to himself, before pottering over to living room and finding his phone. 

_Rox you’ll never guess what just happened_

The girl must have been taking a break from the mind numbing paperwork she was supposed to be doing, because she was online. 

_Did you sleep with him_

Eggsy sighed loudly, head rolling back in irritation. 

_How the fuck did you guess_

_We were literally talking about how you fancied him two days ago, it was only a matter of time eggsy_

_You could at least pretend you’re shocked, this is a big thing yeh_

_!!!!!! I’M SO SURPRISED YOU AND HARRY SLEPT WITH EACH OTHER, NO ONE SAW IT COMING!!!!_

Eggsy collapsed on the sofa, tucking up under a blanket. 

_Honestly lovely I’m really happy for you, and so’s merlin and Gawain and everyone else_

_hang on you’re having a giggle aren’t you, you’re all fucking talking about it?_

_Obviously_   
_this is the most exciting thing that’s happened in Kingsman since harry came back_   
_merlin and kay actually had a bet going to see whether you guys would hook up during or after the mission_

_I don’t fucking believe this_

_we could talk about this forever_   
_or you could tell me how it was ;) ive never slept with an older man before im quite interested_

Eggsy remembered the way he had kissed him in front of the fire. The way he’d made him beg in the bedroom, looking down at him like he was everything. 

_pretty fucking amazing 2bh rox_

_oh my god im just not even that surprised tell me everything_

_ok well it started because I’d just come back from an angsty walk in the snow and he sort of wrapped me up and sat me in front of the fire_

_omg_

_so then we ended up talking about deep shit and it kind of escalated I guess. He told me he loves me_

_oh my god eggsy._

_I know, and I told him I did too and yeh then we had sex. woops_

There was a long moment of Roxy typing and retyping. _so this is quite serious now, then, isn’t it? This is such wonderful news eggsy im so happy for you_

_thanks rox ha_

_I cant actually believe this. You didn’t just fuck you ~made love~_

_fuck please don’t say that that’s awful_

_so he’s good in bed AND he loves you. Lucky boy_   
_youre having sex and romping around romantic mountains, meanwhile, I am single and doing paper work_

Eggsy sent a rather insincere gif of Taylor Swift holding up a ‘sorry ☹’ sign. 

It was at that point that there was a knock at the door. There was only really one person that could be. 

Eggsy came crashing back to reality and threw his phone on the table, mentally preparing himself for the man on the other side of the door. 

James Ellis Williams, dressed in anything but ski gear, appearing very smart in a suit, looked up at Eggsy from his position on the porch. He smirked at him, but there was no amusement in his eyes. 

“Danny. I’m here looking for Harry.”

Alarm bells went off in Eggsy’s mind. He had lied to Harry, saying he was out skiing. He was wearing an expensive suit, as if he was here to work. And that smile. He knew about them.

Had they been sloppy? Or had he suspected all along? 

“Ah, I’m afraid he’s out,” Eggsy said, maintaining his public school accent. “Come in, please.”

The man stepped inside wordlessly, looking around the chalet as if he hadn’t seen it before. He shrugged his coat off and threw it carelessly onto the chair by the front door. Eggsy watched him skulk towards the fireplace, hands in pockets.

“Can I get you a drink? Tea? Coffee? Perhaps something stronger?”

Ellis ignored him, pouring himself a brandy from the canister in the living room. “Lovely place Harry has here.”

Eggsy smiled, his insides tensing like coils, ready to fight at any moment. “Oh yes.”

“How do you know him again?”

Eggsy gestured for him to sit down, but he didn’t. Nor did he. They only surveyed each other, neither man looking away. 

“I’ve alerted Harry that he’s here, Eggsy. Knock him out, if you can. Don’t kill him,” Merlin said into his glasses.

God, Eggsy was glad he’d put his glasses on this morning. 

“I interned at his company last summer,” he began. He’d rehearsed this story enough in his head. “Still looking for a job; Harry was friends with my mum at Cambridge and they agreed this would put me to better use than if were doing bugger all at home.”

Ellis gave a slow, unconvinced nod. And then his fist was coming towards Eggsy’s face, which he blocked, and the fight began. Ellis grabbed Eggsy in a headlock, and he flipped him over, but Ellis was a skilled fighter, it seemed, and the man landed and whipped back around before dodging Eggsy’s kick. He managed to pull Ellis towards him, punching him in the stomach and winding him before reaching for his watch to send a dart into the man’s neck and get this over with, but Ellis was quick to recover, slamming Eggsy against the wall and knocking a painting over, and Eggsy delivered an effective head-butt, leaving himself a little dazed but better off than Ellis, who was stumbling back. He hand went to his watch again.

There was a sudden sharp pain in Eggsy’s neck. His hand slapped instinctively against the point pain- a dart.

“Fuck,” Merlin said into his ear. “There’s someone else outside. It looks like Ellis’ chalet girl. I’m sorry Eggsy, I didn’t see her.”

“Fuckin’ hell,” Eggsy growled, posh accent gone, punching a smug looking Ellis neatly across the face and breaking his nose. He might be drugged, and his vision might be swimming already, but he was a better fighter than Ellis. Merlin was shouting instructions into his ear, before disappearing, supposedly to talk to Harry. He was fucked, unless Harry got here soon.

His hand covered his broken nose, but didn’t do much to hide the blood pouring from it. “You thought I wouldn’t notice?” he drawled, pushing Eggsy over easily. His legs were numb and he felt sick. He knew that if he tried to speak, it would come out in a slur. This shit really did work quickly. 

What a humiliating way to die; at the hands of this slimy arsehole. 

Ellis delivered a winding knee to the stomach, and Eggsy was knocked onto his back, desperate to show as little pain as possible. Trying to put every ounce of mental will he had into his fingers, screaming at them to move, he waited until the man was looming over him, hoped for him to be cocky enough to stand close enough to his right hand, where his signet ring was. But he didn’t just stand over him gloating- no. He straddled him, face hovering just above his, dark eyes swimming in Eggsy’s darkening vision. 

“You thought I wouldn’t fucking notice?” he repeated, spitting on Eggsy’s face, pinning down his sluggish body. When he tried to raise an arm, it only flopped uselessly like a fish on the floor. “Do you know how many fuckers from the MI6 have tried to corner me before? You think I don’t recognise your tricks? You fucking agents, you’re not fucking subtle, you know that? This isn’t a _fucking_ movie, you know. You’re not James fucking Bond. So- tell me. Who do you work for?”

All Eggsy could do was keep eye contact, show he wasn’t giving in. He’d trained for this.

“Come on. Give it a go. Say it out loud. I’m sure I could make something out. You might sound a bit, well, drugged. But I _really_ want to know,” he said, lips brushing his ear, his hot breath leaving his neck wet. “Does Harry even suspect? Does he know you’re a fake when he _fucks_ you?”

 _Fucking move you useless fucking arms_ , Eggsy’s brain cried out, wishing he wasn’t conscious as Ellis started to unbuckle his trousers. _Jesus fucking Christ get this fucking pervert off me_

“Is it MI6? Is it someone I don’t know about? Come on, _you can tell me_ ,” he said through gritted teeth. The man braced himself with one hand by Eggsy’s right, the other unbuttoning Eggy’s jeans. “I’m going to kill you after this anyway, so you might as well, Danny-”

Eggsy was desperately reaching for his signet ring with his thumb. One button press and he could fry this fucker. How long had he been lying here?

And then Ellis’ head snapped up. Moments later he was off him, and through his blurred vision he could see the silhouette of Harry slamming the man into a wall and pulverizing him. The figure of James Ellis-Williams slid down the wall, screaming, hands out to protect him. Then Eggsy might have blacked out. When he blinked his eyes opened, with a lot of effort, and he tried to focus on Harry Hart’s voice as he pulled him over his shoulder. Watching the floor dance up and down, he couldn’t feel himself being put into the passenger seat of the 4x4, rather he could hear and see the world move around him. Meanwhile Harry was talking to him, but he wasn’t close enough for him to hear.

He blacked out again. He must have, because when he woke up, there were undergoing a fucking car chase through the winding alpine roads of Austria. Eggsy sat up straight in the passenger seat in alarm.

“Fuck,” he cried, catching sight of the bullets soaring past the window.

“How are you feeling,” Harry asked calmly. 

“Fine, I’m back,” he said, turning to look through the back window. “Fucking hell, there’s three of them.”

“Yes,” he said simply, eyes flitting between the icy road and the rear view mirror. “They’re not very happy with us.”

“Eggsy, you’re awake,” Merlin called into his glasses. “That was a close fucking call. Are you alright?”

He tried not to think too hard about what had almost happened. A little to reminiscent of nights with Dean creeping into his room. 

“Fuck Jessica,” Eggsy said in response. “That’s what I fucking think. Permission to cut Ellis’ cock off when we get out of this.”

“I’m afraid I got there before you,” Harry said stiffly, avoiding eye contact. 

“Yes, and you barely left him alive, Harry,” Merlin chastised reluctantly. “Though he fucking deserved it.”

“Jesus Christ,” Eggsy cried. “You really fucking did it?”

“I did,” Harry said. “I believe the Ancient Greeks he loved so much used such a punishment on rapists.”

“Fuck,” Eggsy laughed triumphantly. 

“I’m sorry to have stolen that particular task from you- I feel you ought to have been the one to have delivered said punishment.”

“Nah. Nah, I’m good,” Eggsy said, loading his gun. “Shall I?” he asked, waving it.

“Please,” Harry gestured. 

Eggsy opened a sun roof at the top of the car and peered over the edge with his gun. He fired at the wheels of one car, which swiftly veered and tumbled off the edge of the cliff into the snowy cavern below. The other two cars continued without hesitation. He ducked back into the car, avoiding a shot that he could hear whistle past his ear.

“So is our target currently bleeding to death in our chalet, then?” Eggsy asked casually, settling back into his seat.

“Unfortunately not,” Harry said, taking a rather sharp, icy corner very well.

“We need him alive,” Merlin explained. “We’ll make sure he meets a fate far worse than death.”

“Fucking good,” Eggsy said. Only now did he have a chance to consider Harry’s driving. “You could go a _little_ faster, Harry.”

He looked at Eggsy like they were on holiday and he was giving him directions he didn’t like. “I know driving is your area of expertise, but I do actually know what I’m doing, darling.”

“Darling?” Merlin said before Eggsy could. “Dear God, what have I done?”

“Darling?” Eggsy asked incredulously, before snorting. “Aight, _babe_ , but you’d better get a fucking move on because they’re catching up.” He crawled out of his seat and back through the sun roof before Harry could complain. 

“Harry, you’re going to be coming up to a dead end rather soon, this particular road had works started on it today.”

“Fucking typical,” he growled, Eggsy could hear over the sound of his shots ricocheting off the other cars’ bullet proof glass. He slid back inside.

“Can’t get a good shot of their wheels from this distance, and their cars are bullet proof,” he said. “Got one of their shooters, but we need to think of something fast.”

Harry looked in his rear mirror. “In the boot are your snowboard and my skis.”

Eggsy’s mouth almost dropped. “You’re fucking joking.”

“I did say, you’ll never know what you need to learn. Such is the life of a Kingsman,” he said serenely. 

“Right,” Eggsy said sarcastically, crawling into the back to find the equipment. “Interestingly enough, by the way, Ellis suspected me but didn’t think you were involved, Harry.”

“Hm. Yes, well, I rather ruined my cover after I punched the lights out of him cut his dick off.”

“Yeah, probably,” Eggsy replied. “Did you get what you need from his place?”

“He most certainly did,” Merlin said happily. “We’ve well and truly got the fucker.”

“Good,” Eggsy said. “Because there’s a spot just there that our 4x4 could go down,” he said pointing ahead, where the mountainous drop wasn’t so steep. “They won’t be able to follow us in their cars.”

Harry swerved sharply and down the incline, the 4x4 bumping side to side and up and down until it reached even ground covered in snow. He ploughed the car into a gathering of fir trees to shield them from the flurry of bullets. Eggsy popped open the boot from the inside and fixed his snowboard. Harry sat next to him, putting on his skis casually but efficiently, as if they weren’t being pursued. 

“Ready?”

“Fuck yeah,” Eggsy said.

“Good. Try to keep up.” Harry quipped, before disappearing down the mountain. 

Eggsy laughed, turning to see some of Ellis’ men pulling skis out of their cars. “Cocky little shit.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James Bond couldn't have done it better.

Snow exploded around him as bullets buried themselves in the ground. Skiing expertly through the trees, he could hear the snowmobile roaring behind him- they might catch up eventually, but a moped could only go so fast downhill without loosing control, going nose first into the snow and flipping the rider off it. Harry had already seen one man fly through the air and slam into a fir tree, making a terrible cracking sound as he did. No- the only thing that concerned him now was where Eggsy was. As it turned out, he needn’t have worried, because as soon as the thought passed through his mind, he saw him in his periphery, snowboard winding around the incapacitated man. 

“You’re almost at ground level,” Merlin said into his glasses, and, yes- Harry could see another village at the bottom of the valley they were racing down. “You’re going to have to improvise again if you want to find me at the airport.”

“You’re there already?” came Eggsy’s voice in the glasses. 

“No, I’m just landing. I daresay I’ll see you soon.”

Harry hadn’t realised it was Merlin who’d been piloting the plane over. Then again, who else would he allow to pick them up? Merlin was quite territorial when it came to whom he handled, and apparently who he rescued from alpine shoot outs. 

Eggsy’s board jumped off a log, sending him flying spectacularly through the air. 

“Stop showing off, Eggsy,” Merlin warned. 

“Did you fuckin’ see that, though?” Eggsy cried childishly. 

“I’m not catching you this time,” Harry said. Eggsy laughed into his glasses, and despite the circumstances, bullet holes boring into the trees around him, engine noises getting closer, he smiled. 

“This is so James Bond,” Eggsy shouted over the engines. 

Merlin sighed on the other end of the line- though whether it was through frustration or amusement, he couldn’t tell. He was concentrating on the oncoming village down below. If they were going to improvise, as Merlin called it, they were going to either have to do it fucking quickly, or they were going to have to hold back the men pursuing them long enough to hijack a car of some sort. Eggsy seemed to have the same idea, getting there before Harry did. He heard a small explosion behind him, the after-blast almost knocking him off balance. But it didn’t. The Kingsman lighter-cum-grenade was enough to knock the men off their bikes, perhaps killing one of them, but in all likelihood the pursuit would continue. As they reached a bank of snow, both men came to a swift stop- Eggsy, this time, not falling flat on his face, resulting in a ‘ha!’ from Harry’s left. Undoing the straps of the skis and board, they hopped over the bank, not looking back to see how far away their pursuers were. They didn’t need to- they could hear them groaning, the bikes burning.

“There!” Eggsy pointed. A policeman on a motorbike.

“Entschüldigen Sie, bitte,” Harry said in German, with a perfect Austrian accent. “Wir brachen seine-”

The policeman laughed at him, practically in his face, remaining straddled on the bike. “Was? Warum, dann?” he said, as if going along with a joke. Harry shot the man with the dart in his watch, and he slide comically off the bike. Harry took his place, looking up at a hesitant Eggsy and patting the seat behind him. 

“Harry, not bein’ funny, but wouldn’t a car have been better?”

“You’re the one who suggested it.”

“Yeah, well, two people on one bike-”

“No time to argue,” Harry interrupted, watching the two remaining pursuers commandeer some poor tourists’ car. Eggsy slid on behind him and grabbed onto Harry, who roared the engine into life and drove through the quiet village. Zipping around old people crossing the road, careering down the salted path, he considered one way he could loose the car behind him. He turned the bike sharply into a department store, very inauthentic considering the location and likely put there to attract the tourists. The bike skidded along the white marble floor, surprised shoppers jumping out of the way. 

“Where exactly is the airport, Merlin? I could do with some directions,” Harry asked politely, Eggsy’s chin resting on his shoulder. He could feel the man’s chuckle vibrating through him. 

“Well, once you’ve left the department store, I can give you more precise directions- right now, I recommend you leave via the back exit of Swarovski.” 

And so he did, coursing through the shop and out of the thankfully open door, back onto the road. He followed Merlin’s instructions, leaving the village and riding into a vast, open plateau. Sure enough, he could see the airport in the distance already. Bullets danced by them. 

“Am I right in saying that you’ll be there waiting for us, Merlin?”

“Of course.”

“Better get a move on, mate,” Eggsy said into Harry’s ear.

“Understood,” Merlin replied easily. 

Harry’s eyes snapped up quickly enough to see the plane beginning to move in their direction. Merlin was going to set off, and they were going to have to cling on for dear life. For Christ’s sake, it could never be simple. Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in his arm. A bullet had buried itself in his suit jacket sleeve.

“Allow me,” Eggsy said, twisting round in his seat so that they were back to back. He managed to knock one man off his bike, but the other man was difficult to pin down by the sounds of Eggsy’s swearing. Harry tried his best to make unpredictable turns, evading the path of the bullets, but there was only so much sharp swerving he could do without knocking Eggsy off- and without going completely off track. The plane was coming up close now.

“Ready?” Harry called.

“I was fuckin’ born ready,” Eggsy replied. The plane soared past them, beginning to accelerate now, and Harry did a sharp u-turn, coming up to the wheels. 

“You first,” Harry demanded. Eggsy stood up behind him, balancing on the back of the seat, before jumping onto the stem of the wheel. Harry saw a door slowly open in the belly of the plane. Another bullet whistled past his ear. Eggsy was clinging onto the wheel- he wasn’t wearing his bespoke suit, which would have had a zip line built into the cuff. As it was, Harry was watching Eggsy, who was trying to figure out his next move. He didn’t need to think long- Harry leapt of the bike, which was struggling to keep up with the plane now, and grabbed for the wheel stem- barely making it. The tips of his brogues were being shaved down by the wheel. Eggsy stared down at him, wide eyed, extending a hand. 

“Harry! Grab on!”

Harry did, and Eggsy pulled him up so that they were sharing the same space, arms wrapped around each other. Eggsy took a quick glance over his shoulder. “They’ve gone.”

“Hold onto me.” Eggsy did as Harry said, arm tightening onto his waist. Harry raised his arm, shot the zip line from inside his cuff, and allowed the string of metal to pull them roughly towards the opening in the plane. Grabbing onto the edge of the doorway, Harry let Eggsy pull himself inside first, Harry following shortly. 

Both men collapsed beside each other for a moment, lying on the cold metal floor. Harry sat up and looked over to Eggsy.

“Alright?”

Eggsy laughed hysterically. “That was fucking epic.”

Harry smiled down at the man, shaking his head. “You silly sod.”

 

 

Eggsy sat in the bizarrely uncomfortable chair of the counsellor’s office. Merlin had said that every Kingsman was required to undergo some psychiatric treatment after stressful missions. Living it up in a chalet in Austria, to Eggsy, hadn’t seemed that stressful. Of course, that wasn’t why he was there. He knew that. There were things that Merlin didn’t know, that Harry might have figured out, about Eggsy’s past. Things about Dean that he’d never uttered out loud before. And then Ellis-Williams had happened- and no matter how tough a person might be, sexual assault was one of the most upsetting things a one could experience, even without the shit it had probably triggered from his past. So here he was.

In a really scratchy, blue chair. Waiting for the Kingsman counsellor.

The shit they must’ve heard. Eggsy didn’t know who this person was, but they must have fucking heard some weird stuff. Some scary stuff. A clock ticked in the background. It was the kind of clock you got in classrooms at school. There was a cactus on the windowsill, framing a view of the fields surrounding HQ. No personal touches in the room; apparently this office was used by multiple people so there probably wasn’t much point in sprucing it up. When the door opened, he almost jumped out of his skin, it had been so quiet.

A woman came in, taking a seat in the chair opposite him. “Mr. Unwin. Eggsy is it?”

Eggsy cleared his throat. He crossed his legs. He uncrossed them again. He smoothed down his lapel. He leaned forward. He leant back again. 

“Yes.”

She smiled knowingly at him. “First time?”

Eggsy blinked.

“Yeah. Yeah,” he repeated. His throat was dry. What was he meant to say? How was this meant to start?

She poured him a glass of water. “Well, I wouldn’t worry. It’s just a conversation really. Not here to cure you or tell you you’re broken.” Eggsy felt a weight leave his shoulders. “We can talk about the weather or what you ate last night, if that’s what you feel comfortable doing. Although, it would be more useful if you spoke about what happened on your mission.”

The clock ticked. Unexpected memories came to him- things he never imagined he’d want to discuss if he were ever in a position like this. He took the glass of water, cradling it with both hands like it were precious. Shoulders hunching over, legs crossing again. And then his mind went blank, as if he had forgotten everything that had ever happened in his life. 

“I don’t know what to say,” Eggsy admitted. 

The woman smiled. “I’m Jennifer, by the way.”

Eggsy nodded in acknowledgement. “Hi.” There was a quiet pause. No one was waiting, as such. It was just quiet. “I’m going out with Harry,” he began, unexpectedly. “Is that against protocol or somethin’?” 

Jennifer laughed quietly. “Not that I’m aware of. How long has that been going on?”

Eggsy tilted his head from side to side. “Couple of days ago. Day before we finished the mission.”

“Exciting?” she prompted.

“Yeah,” Eggsy smiled awkwardly. “Yeh, weird, but exciting.”

“Weird because you work together?” she asked. “Or because he’s your mentor?”

“I guess,” he shrugged.

“I don’t think it’s that strange. I’ve seen far stranger. The bonds that the Kingsman build here are very strong. It’s natural when you trust someone that much, I think.”

“Yeah,” Eggsy said uncertainly. “I think it’s ‘cause he knew my dad I think that’s a bit weird. But it’s also not, so,” he shrugged again. 

“I don’t think it’s weird at all,” Jennifer repeated. “Is this your first serious relationship?”

Eggsy opened and closed his mouth, trying to find a response. “Yeh. Sort of. Trust issues, I suppose. Although it’s your job to diagnose, right?”

“If you like,” she replied. “Do you want to discuss these trust issues?”

“Not really.”

“OK. Then let’s talk about your mission, if you’re up for it.”

Eggsy stared at the cup of water, which was warm now from the heat from his hands. Ellis-Williams’ smirk came flashed in his mind.

This was going to be a long session.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> thank you SO much everyone who's read this and left kudos! I live for your comments. 
> 
> this chapter is a long porny chapter. A lot of fluff too. Hopefully, a satisfying ending ;)
> 
> Thanks again lovelies!

When Eggsy invited Harry over to his house that evening, after the emotional drainage of a counselling appointment, Eggsy was relieved beyond words. He needed a break. And some company. And they hadn’t been able to talk about the other night, or do anything as a follow up. It was fair to say that as Eggsy waited on Harry’s doorstep, he’s barely able to contain his excitement. The afternoon’s session had left him with barely any energy, but now, he was practically buzzing. Thankfully he’d had time to pop home and put on his normal clothes, and his favourite winged Nike trainers. When Harry opened the door, he was still in his suit. 

Obviously noticing Eggsy’s eyes drifting up and down- never turning down an opportunity to appreciate the view of Harry Hart in a suit- he explained, “I’m afraid I only just got home.” He moved away to let Eggsy in. 

It was strange being back in Harry’s house now. Before, he’d come here as a student, a trainee, a friend. Now, it felt even more intimate somehow. This highly trained killer was allowing him into his home, as his boyfriend. 

“Now, I know I promised to cook dinner,” Harry began, looking back at Eggsy apologetically as they made their way to the living room. “But I’ve barely poured myself a drink.”

“Long day?” 

“Paperwork,” Harry replied. “Bloody boring, but it has to be done.”

Of course, Eggsy would have done some too, if he hadn’t been in an appointment. As if reading his mind, Harry asked how it went, pouring Eggsy a glass of red wine in the kitchen.

“Good. I think. Yeah, it was… there’s a lot,” he managed.

“Hmm, yes. There’s a lot that Jennifer knows about me, poor woman.”

“You see a counsellor?” Eggsy asked, though he didn’t know why he was surprised. You had to see one after difficult missions, and he knows he must have spoken to her after Kentucky. 

“Naturally. I am a little, as they say, fucked up.” Eggsy stood in the kitchen doorway, Harry leaning against the counter with wine in hand, the other unbuttoning his shirt and loosening his tie. It was an appreciated distraction from the conversation topic.

“We all are, ain’t we?”

Harry looked at him with dark eyes that were pregnant with apprehension. There was much to learn about Harry Hart, Eggsy considered. “Yes,” he said simply. He looked at the bottle of wine, and seemed to think, before taking it with him as he went to sit on the sofa. They both needed it after their day. 

“Shall we?” asked Harry, because of course, he was always the type to ask if he could sit down, the fucking gentleman. But Eggsy wasn’t interested in sitting down talking about his appointment, and he wasn’t even that interested in drinking wine right now. He definitely didn’t care about dinner. As Harry sat back on his sofa, Eggsy had stopped to look at the man- hair swept back, impeccable suit, tie loose, glasses off to show his dark eyes. They were so emotional, those eyes- dark, shining, full of intelligence and feeling- even if his face was always stoic. Eggsy walked slowly towards Harry, who was now looking up at him with understanding.

“Not in the mood for talking,” he said, rather than asked, putting his wine glass aside with a smile teasing the corners of his mouth.

“Not really, nah,” Eggsy smiled. He leant down over Harry, hand on the back of the sofa. “Haven’t been able to so much as kiss you since the other night.”

“No,” Harry agreed, sitting still, letting Eggsy loom over his, brush his lips over his ear. “We’ve been a bit run off our feet.”

“Could say that,” Eggsy whispered into his ear, hearing rather than seeing Harry’s back straighten against the sofa. “Haven’t been able to stop thinking about the way you fucked me the other night.”

Moving his head back so he could look down at Harry, he saw the restraint in his posture, expression, giving off an air of control, of enjoying Eggsy crowding his space without losing that gentlemanly veneer. The man looked him up and down, appreciating the scene, watching him- because he was in charge. Always. Eggsy wanted to do everything he could to break that façade. And yet Harry’s eyes were dark with lust, with ideas of things he could do to Eggsy, and he knew as well as Eggsy did that he was letting him have the power, letting him crawl into his lap, because he was the one who drew him in. The way he sat there, even with Eggsy literally towering over him, or straddling him, it was as if Harry had planned it all. The authority and togetherness the man exuded was off the charts. And God did Eggsy love it, want to strip that away until he became a weak at the knees, calling out his name.

So having slowly slid onto Harry’s lap, he could only admit that whilst it’d been his idea to come onto him, to pin him down with his thighs, hands on his shoulders, it was Harry who was looking at him like he’d wanted him there all along, hands riding up his thighs. Eggsy was giving in to him. He knew it. And he kind of loved it, too. There were things he could do to take back that power, though; Harry didn’t have to have it all. And Harry knew him well enough to know that Eggsy could do whatever he damn well pleased. Eggsy’s hand ran through Harry’s soft hair, considering all this- wanting to give, wanting to take, wanting to be taken. Could he have it all at once? His gaze didn’t waver, and he stared into Harry’s dark, admiring eyes. A hand slid down to his chest, beginning to unbutton the pristine white shirt Harry wore. The man watched Eggsy undress him, sitting still like a predator waiting for the exact moment to pounce.

“I love you,” Eggsy said. And with those words, the atmosphere changed completely. What semblance of control Harry had shown dissolved, and his face showed the vulnerability and awe that Eggsy saw that night by the fire. Like Eggsy was the most precious thing in the world. It made him light-headed.

“You’re letting me in, now, aren’t you?” Eggsy asked. 

His hands went to cup Harry’s face, who was now betraying all the affection he had for Eggsy, and so much more. He could see it all now, so many feelings that had been hiding for so many years. His stomach flipped, chest fluttering. “Whatever armour I had. Whatever defences I had,” Harry said hoarsely, control slipping away and voice wavering slightly. He pursed his lips resolutely before continuing. “They’re gone. You’ve stripped them away. Whatever’s left is yours, Eggsy. Entirely.”

And that was huge. All that Harry was, all that he’d seen and done, he was giving to him. Eggsy kissed him deeply, hands running through his hair, and Harry was leaning up into Eggsy’s embrace. 

“So,” Eggsy said in between breaths, “that’s a long way of saying you love me?”

Harry laughed against his lips. “Yes, you silly fucker. It means I love you.”

“Jus’ checkin’,” Eggsy said. And God, laughing and loving was so much better than fucking, than power play, he thought. “I fucking love you, Harry Hart.”

Harry sighed into a kiss. “And I love you,” he replied. And Eggsy swore he’d never get used to that, the sound of those words making him lose his breath with awe and disbelief. That this man could love him. Could give himself like this. Harry read his whimper, repeating himself. “I love you,” he said again, and he just couldn’t believe his ears. If he kept saying it, he couldn’t guarantee he wasn’t going to cry. “I love you,” Harry whispered against his ear. “I love you,” he said, lips grazing his collar bone. “I love you.” Eggsy shivered, shaky breath betraying the pain in his chest and the sting in his eyes. “I love you.”

“Harry,” Eggsy whispered. 

“I’m going to keep telling you until you understand,” Harry replied. “Guess what?”

Eggsy laughed weakly as the man beneath him gently kissed his neck. “What?”

“I love you.”

Eggsy laughed again, covering his burning face with his hands. “Stop!”

“Why should I? It’s true,” Harry said seriously, looking up at him with mischief in his eyes. 

Eggsy couldn’t hold back the grin spreading across his face. “This is real, innit?”

“I bloody well hope so,” Harry replied, lust creeping into his voice again as he pulled Eggsy closer and kissed down his neck. Eggsy’s head rolled back. 

“I’m so scared I’m going wake up, and none of this ever happened.”

Looked like that counselling session in the afternoon had opened a floodgate. Eggsy internally cringed at the words coming out of his mouth- especially after he’d been so suave and sexy a few minutes before. 

“Not going to happen,” Harry said, one hand stroking up his inner thigh, his lips exploring his jaw line, which he’d taken a liking to, Eggsy noticed.

“Yeh, but, what if, I dunno, you get bored of me or something?” God, he couldn’t shut up.

Harry huffed against Eggsy’s neck. “What can I do to stop you from talking bollocks?” he paused for a second to think, before humming in satisfaction. “How about…” 

Harry moved, and suddenly he was standing up, Eggsy wrapped around his the slim waist of his bespoke suit, holding on for dear life, laughing giddily. 

“Hold on tight,” Harry advised, hands gripping him up from beneath his knees.

“Fuck, you’re strong,” Eggsy said admiringly, and he had to admit that this was already pretty fucking distracting. 

“I passed the same fitness tests as you,” Harry chided. “Now, I’m going to take you upstairs, and I’m going to show you just how much I love you, and intend to continue to love you. Is that clear?”

“Yeah alright,” Eggsy breathed, unable to wipe the smile off his face as Harry looked at him earnestly, but with that amusement and mischief he had before. And so Eggsy wrapped his arms tightly around Harry, kissing and biting his neck hungrily as he tried to ascend the stairs with Eggsy clinging onto him. 

“Oh, bugger,” Harry swore as he almost missed a step, making Eggsy erupt with laughter. 

“You could put me down, you know.”

“Absolutely not,” Harry replied, voice full of laughter, and when they finally got to the bedroom, Eggsy opened the door, finding the doorknob next to his bum. Gently placing Eggsy on the bed, Harry followed suit, tie dropping down. Eggsy untied it from below him, throwing it across the room. He smiled, barely holding back a laugh.

“What?”

“Nothing, I just,” he grinned. “… this is ridiculous.”

“Yes, well, that is my intention. I want to make you smile,” Harry said, stroking a thumb along his cheekbone. “It’s not all about fucking, you know. I didn’t fall in love with you just because I’m attracted to you.” My God, how could a trained killer look at someone- _him_ \- with so much adoration? And so Eggsy understood. He did love him. All of this Harry was doing- this wasn’t just a brief thing. It would take time for him to trust fully; he knew that. And Harry knew that too- that was why he was doing all he could to show him now how much he was prepared to stay, making him laugh, telling him he loved him over and over as he kissed him gently.

Afraid that he was taking too much- always afraid- Eggsy pulled away, saying, “You know I ain’t just here to fuck you too, yeh?”

Harry smiled warmly, a line furrowed between his brows. “Yes Eggsy. I do.”

“I’d follow you to the ends of the fuckin’ earth.” He remembered being tied to those train tracks, betraying nothing. Prepared to do anything.

“Well, let’s hope you won’t have to,” Harry said softly, laying his weight on top of him. It was welcomed- Eggsy craved having him close, having him flush against him as much as possible, and he tangled their legs together. “For now, I’d like to make your toes curl.”

Eggsy sighed loudly, arching against Harry, his too tight jeans doing nothing to hide his erection rubbing against Harry’s thigh. Although he was pressing Harry closer as they kissed, he knew he wanted the suit off. So he pushed it off his shoulders, and as good as he looked in it- fucking good- he wanted to see him out of it more. Unbuttoning his shirt and- quite expertly- taking his trousers off without standing up, Harry moved onto stripping Eggsy out of the outfit he’d thought so long and hard about earlier. After what happened the other day in Austria with Ellis, Eggsy didn’t think about it for a second as Harry unzipped his jeans. There was nothing similar to it here in the slightest. In fact, this was incomparable to any kind of sex he’d had before. Now his boxers were gone, and Harry had decided to make his way down from the top, kissing Eggsy’s forehead, his eyes, nose, lips, chin, the bite mark he’d like on his neck, his collarbone, nipples- Eggsy’ bucked at the feeling, his legs twisting more tightly around Harry’s- and he almost begged for him not to reach his stomach, because-

He gasped as Harry started lining careful kisses along his abs, and above his belly button. He stopped his work, looking up at him in quiet amusement, an inquisitive eyebrow raised. God, he looked good from here, naked and hair ruffled. His hands were braced at his waist.

“Bit of a thing for me,” Eggsy said bashfully, heat rising to his face. 

“Hmm. Interesting,” Harry concluded, and began kissing his stomach again, purposefully lingering there, Eggsy sighing and letting his hand rake through his hair. So now Harry knew he was really sensitive around his stomach. Well, soon enough he’d probably figure out he was really fucking ticklish there too, although he hoped he didn’t make that connection yet. He was enjoying his descending lips too much, moaning when he went past his cock and continued down his thighs. 

“Have I convinced you yet?” Harry said darkly.

Eggsy smirked. “Nah,” he said provocatively.

Harry laughed, lips meeting Eggsy’s again. “I shall just have to keep trying, then.”

“Yep,” Eggsy grinned mischievously, and Harry hummed into their kiss before laying a few more kisses on Eggsy’s stomach, before finally reaching his cock, and Eggsy’s head pushed down into the bed. “God.”

Feeling his mouth on him like that sent all thoughts out of his mind, all that was left were throaty gasps, whines, the live wire of his body making his hips buck instinctively. He felt so good- looked so good doing these things to him, giving to him like this. And he didn’t stop there- no, Harry was lubing his finger and Eggsy screwed his eyes shut in preparation for his touch. It was gentle at first, testing his response as Eggsy felt Harry’s bed sheets crumple in his hands, a long, drawn out ‘aaah’ coming out of him. And Harry seemed to enjoy eliciting that response from him, so Eggsy didn’t hold back. He wasn’t usually vocal, for whatever reason, but right now he could feel gasps and moans and whines gathering at the back of his throat, and he figured that he would let them out, allow himself to sound ridiculously pornographic if it meant that it encouraged Harry to keep going and hit that sweet spot, his mouth on him _at the same time_ as his fingers inside him-

“God, Harry, Harry-” he called, back arching, legs moving aimlessly to try and brace him against the onrush of pleasure he was feeling. His fingers were going numb, he was seeing stars. Was he breathing? He whined again, fully aware that it was driving Harry crazy.

Harry suddenly stopped what he was doing, looking up at him with another fake-serious expression. “Eggsy, really, you have to stop doing that if you expect me to concentrate.”

Eggsy laughed shamelessly, a little too proud of himself. “Sorry,” he said without any hint of apology.

“No you’re fucking not,” Harry muttered, crawling back up his body and kissing him, humming impatiently. 

“I want you inside me,” Eggsy slurs against Harry’s mouth. “And then later, it’s my turn to do things to you… find that tie of yours and tie you down with it…”

“Is that a promise?” Harry said into his ear.

“Fuck, yes,” Eggsy said hoarsely. “Hurry the fuck up, please, God-”

He was so close. How long had this foreplay gone on for? How much longer could he last? Biting down on his lip he moaned as Harry positioned himself between his legs, and then he was being filled with Harry at last, he’d been craving him, wanting to be as close to him as possible, and his legs wrapped around him, instinctively trying to pull him closer, slow, strong movements moving him up the bed, mattress knocking the headboard against the wall. His eyes slid shut, and his mouth was dry from hanging open, no words coming out, the occasional ‘ah’ as Harry maintained a painfully, beautifully slow rhythm. When Eggsy looked up at Harry through his eyelashes, lips parted, he knew how he looked and he could see in Harry’s face that it was driving him crazy, and that’s one of more thing in his arsenal he can use against him later, he thought to himself, but the thought was pushed out of his head when suddenly Harry found a perfect angle that pulled the breath out of Eggsy, pushing his head down into the bed, wrenching pleasure out of his body so that he was arched and gasping, and he wasn’t even coming yet, but he was close, so close. 

“Fuck,” Harry muttered as he looked down at him, that once perfect hair falling into his glistening face, and Eggsy wanted this to last forever, and by the way Harry’s rhythm was only slowly increasing, he could only guess that he feels the same. And he knew now that Harry was right before. Eggsy had undone him, stripped him bare- literally and figuratively, of course- and what was left was the man looking down at him, prepared to give him anything he could, do anything to make Eggsy feel the way he does right now. Loved, and never alone.

“H-Harry,” he said, the breath stuttering out of him, and then he’s coming, body undulating with the waves of pleasure running through him. Unable to catch his breath, his vision went fuzzy with the orgasm- unreal, unlike any he’d had before- and then Harry only had a few more moments before he was there too, groaning through gritted teeth, leaning down into Eggsy’s arms, shaking breath warming Eggsy’s neck. 

“Harry,” Eggsy said more clearly. That’s all he had to say- just his name, as they lay there together, drinking in each other’s warmth.

 

Shortly after the best sex Harry had ever had- and most of it hadn’t even involved him being on the receiving end- the two men were hungry. Very hungry. Harry had hung up his suit and put it away, and Eggsy wrapped himself around him as he did so, standing behind him with his arms crossed over Harry’s stomach. The two of them were walking around Harry’s bedroom as if they were joined together, Eggsy comically trying to match Harry’s footsteps as they crossed the room. Eggsy commandeered a pair of Harry’s pyjamas, and whilst they were a little long on him he rather liked the look on him, particularly with his mussed up hair and love bites down his neck, a blush running along his sharp cheekbones. They were both now tucking into an Indian takeaway on the sofa, watching First Dates- Eggsy’s choice, of course. Harry hadn’t seen it before, but he was finding it quite enjoyable, seeing how strangers interacted on their first dates. 

Eggsy refused to move his feet from Harry’s lap, so his plate balanced precariously on the boy’s shins, onion bhaji sliding dangerously around the place. It was a vision of perfection, warm, happy, safe Eggsy. Wrapped up on the sofa with him. Inelegantly eating chicken tikka masala. Some might argue that Gary Eggsy Unwin was more attractive in a suit, with weapon in hand, or engaging in parkour. To Harry, these were the moments he cherished with Eggsy. The boy’s eyes would flit from the screen to his as he watched him, blush rising to his cheeks again. 

“You not watchin’?”

“I am. Just a little distracted.”

“You’re so fucking cheesy,” Eggsy smiled. “It’s disgusting.”

“You have tikka masala sauce on your face,” he says dryly, though his smile betrays his amusement.

Eggsy wipes it away with the back of his hand. “Yeh, that’s what you were staring at.”

He wanted to spend the rest of his life with him, Harry realised. He wanted to go grocery shopping with him, pay bills with him. Take his sister Daisy to the park with him. 

Placing a kiss on Eggsy’s head, Harry let the warmth in his chest swell and spread.


End file.
